Jongno-gu (Page 2)

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360° VR panorama round the back of Daeungjeon, the main hall of Jogyesa temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Daeungjeon (Hangeul: 대웅전; Hanja: 大雄殿) means ‘Great Hero Hall’, and is the largest single storey hall in Korea. It was built in 1938 and is decorated in the traditional Korean dancheong style. The wooden panels of the temple are painted with images depicting the life and teachings of Buddha.

The large building to the north of the temple is the Korean Buddhist History and Culture Museum, which displays antique woodblocks, Buddhist paintings, and various other Korean Buddhist artefacts.

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360° VR panorama outside Jibokjae Royal Library in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

From Wikipedia:

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Jibokjae (Hangul: 집옥재; Hanja: 集玉齋), located next to Geoncheonggung Residence, is a two-story private library used by King Gojong. In 1876, a major fire occurred in Gyeongbokgung Palace, and King Gojong, for a brief period, moved and resided in Changdeokgung Palace instead. He eventually moved back to Gyeongbokgung in 1888, and he had the already-existing Jibokjae building dissembled and moved from Changdeokgung to the present location in 1891. Its name, Jibokjae, translates loosely in English as “Hall of Collecting Jade.”

The building uniquely shows heavy influence of Chinese architecture instead of traditional Korean palace architecture. Its side walls were entirely constructed of brick, a method commonly employed by the contemporary Chinese, and its roof design, interior screens, and columns also show Chinese influence. Its architecture possibly was meant to give it an exotic appearance.
Jibokjae is flanked by Parujeong (Hangul: 팔우정; Hanja: 八隅亭), an octagonal two-story pavilion, to the left and Hyeopgildang (Hangul: 협길당; Hanja: 協吉堂) to the right. Parujeong was constructed and used to store books, while Hyeopgildang served as a part of Jibokjae. Both of the buildings are connected to Jibokjae by internal corridors.

Bohyeondang (Hangul: 보현당; Hanja: 寶賢堂) and Gahoejeong (Hangul: 가회정; Hanja: 嘉會亭), buildings that also formed a library complex to the south of Jibokjae, were demolished by the Japanese government in the early 20th century.

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360° VR panorama of Jeongsihap and Nokgeumdang, two buildings forming part of the Geoncheonggung Residential Palace in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Geoncheonggung (Hangul: 건청궁; Hanja: 乾淸宮), also known as Geoncheonggung Residence, was a private royal residence built by King Gojong within the palace grounds of Gyeongbokgung in 1873.

King Gojong resided in Geoncheonggung from 1888 and the residence was continuously expanded, but Empress Myeongseong, the wife of King Gojong, was brutally assassinated by the Japanese agents on October 8, 1895 at the residence. Her body was raped and cut, and was burned and buried near the residence.

Haunted by the experiences of the incident, the king left the palace on January, 1896, and never returned to Geoncheonggung Residence. Demolished completely by the Japanese government in 1909, the residence was accurately reconstructed to its former design and open to the public in 2007.

Above description taken from Wikipedia article on Gyeongbokgung.

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360° VR panorama of Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, Hyangwonji Lake, and Chwihyanggyo Bridge in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Hyangwonjeong (Hangul: 향원정; Hanja: 香遠亭), or Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, is a small, two-story hexagonal pavilion built around 1873 by the order of King Gojong when Geoncheonggung residence was built to the north of the Hyangwonjeong site within Gyeongbokgung.

The pavilion was constructed on an artificial island of a lake named Hyangwonji (Hangul: 향원지; Hanja: 香遠池), and a bridge named Chwihyanggyo (Hangul: 취향교; Hanja: 醉香橋) connects it to the palace grounds. The name Hyangwonjeong loosely translates as “Pavilion of Far-Reaching Fragrance,” while Chwihyanggyo translates as “Bridge Intoxicated with Fragrance.

The bridge Chwihyanggyo was originally located on the north side of the island and was the longest bridge constructed purely of wood during the Joseon Dynasty; however, it was destroyed during the Korean War. The bridge was reconstructed in its present form on the south side of the island in 1953.

Above description taken from Wikipedia article on Gyeongbokgung.

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360° VR panorama of the stone statues of Civil officials, known as Muninseok (문인석), on display in the grounds of the National Folk Museum of Korea (국립민속박물관). The National Folk Museum of Korea is located in the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁), Seoul (서울).

The aim of the National Folk Museum of Korea is to preserve the legacy of traditional Korean life and to educate on how Koreans lived in traditional times. The Museum is a popular attraction, receiving over two million visitors annually.

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360° VR panorama of the ceremonial stone mound and Jangseung (장승) spirit posts outside the National Folk Museum of Korea (국립민속박물관) in Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁), Seoul (서울).

The Jangseung is a wooden pole (though sometimes made of stone) with a face carved near the top. They would normally be placed near the edges of villages to mark the village boundary and frighten evil spirits away from the village. Villagers would also pray to them to prevent calamity and bring a bountiful harvest.

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360° VR panorama of the National Folk Museum of Korea (국립민속박물관). It is situated on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace) in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and uses replicas of historical objects to illustrate the folk history of the Korean people.

The museum was established as the Korean Folk Crafts Museum in 1924 by the Japanese philosopher Yanagi Sōetsu. That name was changed afterwards by the U.S. Government. on November 8, 1945. The museum has three exhibition halls which illustrate ‘The History of the Korean People’ from pre-historic times to the end of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910, ‘The Lifestyle of the Korean People’, and ‘The Lifecycle of a Korean from Birth to Death’. It also houses a children’s museum and an outdoor exhibition.

The museum was originally sited on Mt Namsan, and moved to Gyeongbokgung in 1975. The current building was built in 1972 and housed the National Museum of Korea until 1986. It was remodelled, and reopened as the National Folk Museum in 1993. The building’s design is based on various historical buildings around South Korea.

Above description adapted from National Folk Museum of Korea Wikipedia article.

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360° VR panorama inside Gyotaejeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

From Wikipedia:

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Gyotaejeon (Hangul: 교태전; Hanja: 交泰殿), also called Gyotaejeon Hall, is a building used as the main sleeping and living quarters by the queen during the Joseon Dynasty. The building is located behind Gangnyeongjeon, the king’s sleeping quarters, and contains the queen’s bed chamber. It was first constructed in around 1440, the 22nd year of King Sejong the Great.

King Sejong, who was noted to have a frail health later in his reign, decided to carry out his executive duties in Gangnyeongjeon, where his bed chamber is located, instead of Sajeongjeon. Since this decision meant many government officials routinely needed to visit and intrude Gangnyeongjeon, King Sejong had Gyotaejeon built in consideration of his wife the queen’s privacy.

The building was burned down in 1592 when the Japanese invaded Korea, but was reconstructed in 1867. Nevertheless, when Daejojeon of Changdeokgung Palace was burned down by a fire in 1917, the Japanese government dissembled the building and recycled its construction materials to restore Daejojeon. The current building was reconstructed in 1994 according to its original design and specifications. The building, like Gangnyeongjeon, does not have a top roof ridge called yongmaru.

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360° VR panorama between the back of Gangnyeongjeon Hall and Yanguimun Gate in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Yanguimun (양의문) Gate is located behind the king’s living quarters, Gangnyeongjeon Hall (강녕전), and leads to the queen’s living quarters, Gyotaejeon Hall (교태전). The queen’s separate living quarters were built during the reign of King Sejong, who carried out his executive duties in his living quarters, and wanted to allow his wife some privacy from the government officials who would often need to meet with him.

On either side of Yanguimun Gate are red brick chimneys, decorated with stylized Chinese characters. The left chimney is decorated with the Chinese characters 萬壽無疆, meaning “long, endless life”, while the right chimney is decorated with the characters 千世萬歲, meaning “thousands of years”.

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360° VR panorama inside Gangnyeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

From Wikipedia:

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Gangnyeongjeon (Hangul: 강녕전; Hanja: 康寧殿), also called Gangnyeongjeon Hall, is a building used as the king’s main sleeping and living quarters. The building contains the king’s bed chamber and was first constructed in 1395, the fourth year of King Taejo. Destroyed during the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, the building was rebuilt when Gyeongbokgung was reconstructed in 1867, but it was again burned down by a major fire on November, 1876 and had to be restored in 1888 by the orders of King Gojong.

However, when Huijeongdang of Changdeokgung Palace was burned down by a fire in 1917, the Japanese government dismembered the building and used its construction materials to restore Huijeongdang in 1920. The current building was rebuilt in 1994, meticulously restoring Gangnyeongjeon to its original specifications and design.

Gangnyeongjeon consists of fourteen rectangular chambers, each seven chambers located to the left and right side of the building in a layout out like a checkerboard, and corridors. The king used the center chamber while the court attendants occupied the other side chambers to protect, assist, and to receive orders. The building rests on top of a tall stone foundation, and a stone deck or veranda locates in front of the building.

The noted feature of the building is an absence of a top white roof ridge called yongmaru (Hangul: 용마루) in Korean. Many theories exist to explain the absence, of which a prominent one states that since the king was symbolized as the dragon during the Joseon Dynasty, the yongmaru, which contains the letter dragon or yong (龍), cannot rest on top of the king when he is asleep.