The place where I visited today was Gyeongungung palace. Gyeongungung palace also known as Deoksugung, was the private house for king Seongjong's older brother but it changed to the main palace after the Japanese invasion.

 The main gate of Gyeongungung is Daehanmun. At first, the original main gate was Inhwamun but it changed to Daehanmun since 1902. In the middle of Gyeongungung there is a building called Junghwajeon and it is used for official events. It is also used as a throne hall. Inside Junghwajeon you can see the beautifully decorated folding screen called Irwolobongbyeong behind the throne.

 There are some western style buildings in Gyeongungung too. Seokjojeon is a western style stone building. It has a living room for goverment officials and a fountain in front of the building. And Jeonggwangheon which is a place of relaxation of the king Gojong also has both Korean and western designs. Gojong often drank some coffee in this building.

 Gyeongungung is also a place where king Gojong declared the empire, Daehanjaeguk. In 1897, king Gojong changed the status from dynasty to empire. And he made himself an emperor. The empire, Daehanjaeguk was existed for 13 years, from 1897 to 1910.

 Like this I learned a lot of new informations about Gyeongungung. I think it was a great experience for me to visit one of the five main palaces of Korea.  If I have a chance, I want to visit Gyeongungung and see the beautiful buildings again.