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Today, I visited Changgyeong Palace for the first time in my life. It was so great : the palace had a lot of unique stuffs to see. Therefore, I had a great time there. I enjoyed the flamboyant, powerful-looking buildings very much. However, small engravings and sculptures made of stones attracted me more.
Around the palace, I could spot several intriguing figures carved by great artists long time ago. The first ones were Japsangs which I found on the main gate of Changgyeong Palace, Honghwamun. They were placed on the four edges of the Honghwamun roof as a protection. The Japsangs resembled the four main characters from the Chinese novel "Journey to the West". I like the novel, so the figures looked very familiar to me. Actually, they looked like tiny dolls. I could not see them clearly, but I could notice that they had been made very elaborately.
After I passed Honghwamun, I crossed Okcheongyo, a stone bridge in the palace. There, I spotted stone monsters between the arches. Soon, I learned that they had been carved in order to protect the king from the evil water spirits. The monsters had a triangle-shaped face and looked serious. They looked very alive because they had been engraved well.
On the other part of the bridge, there was Myeongjeongjeon, a place for official events. There was a stair to the building. On the stair, there was a road named Dapdo. It had been built for the king' s sedan chair. It was a square-shaped plate which had a Chinese Phoenix carved on it. I learned that artists could not carve a tiger on it because the tiger represents emperors, not kings. I did not feel it was fair, but the Phoenix did look elegant. It was beautifully engraved.
I think the Chosun people treasured their king greatly. They made elaborate sculptures just to protect him and his family. Moreover, they tried to make everything related to him beautifully, even the road his sedan chair went. Anyway, the figures they made impressed me very much. I hope I can visit Changgyeong Palace again in the future. |
