Unhyeongung Palace

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On Saturday morning, I asked Shauna, "would you accompany me today to Unhyeonggung Palace and Jogyesa Temple? They are both in Insadong then we can do a bit of shopping and grab dinner before heading home. How does that sound?" "It sounds like I should bring my camera and be prepared for a day outside. Thanks for inviting me along," she replied with a smile breaking out on her face.

Before leaving the apartment I read two small passages in the LP guidebook starting with Unhyeongung; The modest and plain natural-wood design of this minor palace reflects the austere tastes of Hungseon Daewongun (1820-1898), King Gojong's stern and conservative father whose policies included massacring Korean Catholics, excluding foreigners from Korea and closing Confusion schools. Gojong was born and raised here until 1863 when he ascended the throne aged 12 with his father as acting regent. Rooms are furnished and mannequins display dress styles of the time. An hour-long reenactment of the marriage of King Gojong to Queen Myeongseong is held here, where the actual event took place in 1867 when he was 15 and she was 16.

Unhyeongung Palace also known as "Cloud Hanging Over the Valley Palace" is located down a main thoroughfare from Anguk station, line #3, Exit 4. This is the house where King Gojong, the 26th king of Joseon, lived becore he acceded to the throne. The grounds were owned by Heungseon Daewongun Yi-Ha-Eung, the father of Gojong. While living in this house Heungseon Daewongun ruled over the country for about ten years until taking control of state affairs in place of his son.

Then I read to her about Jogyesa, it holds the largest Buddhist shrine in Seoul. Daeungjeon was built in 1938 but the design followed the late Joseon-dynasty style. Murals of scenes from Buddha's life and the carved latticework doors are two of its attractive features. You can follow the tradition of lighting a candle or incense stick and then walking around the seven-tiered pagoda to make a wish. Jogyesa is the headquarters of the Jogye sect, the largest in Korea, which emphasizes Zen-style (Seon) meditation and study of Buddhist scriptures as the best way to achieve enlightenment. Behind the main shrine is the modern Amitabha Buddha Hall where funeral services are held. The statues are the ten judges who pass judgement along with Amitabha Buddha, forty-nine days after someone's death, to decide if they go to heaven or hell. The belfry houses a drum to summon earthbound animals, a wooden fish-shaped gong to summon aquatic beings, a metal cloud-shaped gong to summon birds and a large bronze bell to summon underground creatures. They are banged twenty-eight times at four o'clock in the morning and thirty-three times at six in the evening.

Around noon, we walked out of the apartment past the immigration office and out the main gate of the village heading down the driveway onto the sidewalk and through the narrow path of shoveled sidewalk to the bus stop where we awaited the 2200 Express Bus to Seoul. After eleven-minutes of standing in the shade, I saw the bus breaking over the crest of the hill at a rapid pace stepping off the sidewalk I raised an arm as the driver spotted me and began applying the brakes. As the bus came to a halt the doors gently opened up as I approached then I stepped out of the way inviting the older woman behind us to go first since she had been waiting in the cold longer than us. Next Shauna stepped up onto the bus and I followed.

Sitting down Shauna pulled her book out of her purse for the forty-five minute journey into Hapjeong station. "Which book did you bring to read?" I inquired as I pulled off my gloves, hat and jacket placing them into my messenger bag, fumbling around inside it for my own novel. "Hello from Heaven, I'm three-quarters of the way through it and I'm really enjoying this one," she smiled pulling out the bookmark and flipping it open to her left off spot.

Withdrawing my own book I sat down into the seat dropping my messenger bag between my legs as it hit the floor I opened up to page three-hundred and twelve of Paul Carson's enthralling mystery book about Ireland's drug trade and a pair of undercover agents in Ambush. Fifty-five minutes later the bus pulled up to the curb outside Hapjeong Station. Exiting the bus, we stuffed our books back into our bags as we headed down the stairs to catch the subway. Per our usual routine we headed for the bathroom and the transfer card reload machine before hoping onto the green line #2 heading for Euljiro-sam-ga to transfer to the brown line, #3 to our destination station Anguk.

Exiting from the train car, we went up the stairs in search of exit number four as the LP had directed us. As we climbed the four different flights of steps we emerged onto the main street with Unhyeongung straight ahead on our left. "We're hear," I belted out confident of our arrival at the palace. Shauna laughed stating, "I know exactly where we are too!" "Good that will help when we go in search of those bits of late Christmas shopping still to be purchased," as I grabbed her hand and we strolled down to the entrance.

Walking a hundred feet, we spotted a cultural stone plaque stating where we were, Unhyeongung Palace which listed various information about the period 1864 (1st year of King Gojong's reign); Repaired in 1996 and Location: 98-50, Unni-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul plus its Historic Site Number 257. Stopping briefly, I snapped off a photograph of the plaque then stuffed my camera back into my coat grabbing her hand again and walking another two hundred meters to the entrance. "Dul juseyo (I'd like 2, please)," I stated handing over a 10,000 won banknote and receiving our tickets, a pamphlet and my change, "gam-sa-ham-ni-da, an-yan-ka-seyo (thank you, have a good day)," I stated walking away stuffing the change into my pocket and unfolding the pamphlet stopping just shy of the entrance to read bits of the pamphlet before we began our search of the perfect photographs of the palace grounds.

Reading out loud to Shauna from the pamphlet I began with a summary of information about the king, the palace grounds, his son and family;

In 1864 the first year of King Gojong's reign, Norakdang and Noandang were built then in 1869, Irodang and Yeongrodang were erected. To facilitate going in and out of Changdeokgung Palace, Gyeonggeunmun Gate and Gonggeunmun Gate were built exclusively for Gojong and Heungseon Daewongun (1820-1898), respectively, neither gate remains today.

Noandang was where Heungseon Daewongun discussed state affairs. Norakdang and Irodang were used as the Anchae or inner quarters and the Byeolchae, outbuilding respectively. Considering the size, formality and the ground plan, Unhueongung is similar to an inner palace rather than the house of a high ranking official. Following the death of Heungseon Daewongun, the house was inherited by his eldest son Yi Jaemyeon and then his grandson Ji Junyong after. Following the Korean War, however, a considerable amount of the house was sold and therefore the size of the house was considerably reduced.

His birth name is Yi Ha-eung and he was also referred to as Sibaek or Seokpa. Heonui is his posthumous epithet. He was the father of the Gojong, the 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty. According to the accession of Gojong to the throne in 1863, he became Daewongun, a title customarily granted to the father of the reigning monarch when the father did not reign himself, and began to rule the country in the position of a regent.

Emperor Gojang (1852-1919) was born the second son of Yi Ha-eung, who was the fifth generation descendant of King Yeongjo. He succeeded king Cheoljong, who had no heirs, at the age of 12 in 1863. In 1866, he married Empress Myeongseong. Then in October 1897, he changed the name of the Joseon Dynasty to the Korean Empire and declared the new era name Gwangmu, thereby being crowned the first emperor of the Korean Empire at Jeukodang, Gyeongungung (Palace).

Empress Myeongseong (1851-1895) was the wife of Gojong and the daughter of Min Chi-rok. She lost her parents when she was eight years old. At the age of sixteen, she was chosen as queen on the recommendation of the mother of Gojong in 1866, during the third year of King Gojong's reign. Since Heungseon Daewongun was looking for a woman without close relatives, who might have political ambitions. In 1895, she was killed in Gyeongbokgung (Palace) by Japanese assassins. As the Korean Empire commenced in 1897, she was given the posthumous title of Empress Myeongseong.

Tragically we came during the wrong time of year to see the reenactment performance of marriage between the King and Queen. For some reason actors don't like portraying marriage in minus ten degree weather with bitter cold nipping at their noses!

As we stepped out of the entrance the first building on our right was Sujiksa. This building housed the guards and servants for the palace. Their jobs were upkeep and maintenance of the palace as well as security for Heungseon Daewongun and his family. With their doors tightly closed we proceeded through the courtyard to our left heading in the direction of Irodang in the far back left corner of the grounds. Before reaching Irodang we paused several times to take photographs of the amazing beauty surrounding the buildings, the ornate materials used to build the palace and the grandeur of the landscape surrounding the inner palace with large rock sculptures, flora and fauna.

Passing by Norakdang we found Irodang which was constructed after the wedding ceremony of Emperor Gojong and Empress Myeongseong in 1866. The said this house was necessary for Heungseon Daewongun and his wife. All the rooms we could see inside of were six by six feet with the exception of the two kitchen areas downstairs and one large dining area in the middle of the complex house. The fragility of the paper doors and the thinly laid wood surprised us as we stood shivering in the bitter cold wondering how they kept the place heated.

Wandering below the structure we found ourselves on the backside of Irodang. It is said that the wife was in charge of housekeeping around the palace. Seeing the size of the palace, and this being an extremely small one, I was surprised to read about her position around the home. Irodang was said to be built of eight front rooms with seven side rooms.

Walking off behind the house we walked back out to the front in the opposite direction we had come. On the way around the outside structure I bumped into a nine foot brick chimney. During our walk around the palace, I counted another five of these similar chimneys at various points surrounding the buildings. Ducking under a palace door we walked back into the main courtyard noticing to our right the Artifact Exhibition Hall.

Inside the hall, we found artifacts left behind by the people. These artifacts were kitchen utensils, scrolls, drums, clothing, parchments, musical instruments and pottery. The first display on our left pertained to the attire worn by royal families during a wedding ceremony called The Garye. These costumes were the most elaborately decorated costumes for both the King and Queen plus their royal family members. Chinyeong refers to the procedures when the king visits a special palace designated for royal weddings called Byeolgung.
During this visit King Gojong wore a Myeongbok and Queen Myeongseong wore Jeokui; the most elaborate royal costumes worn by kings and queens. The king's father and mother wore Jobok and Wondsam, respectively; the official's ceremonial costumes. Before we left the artifact hall, Shauna commented several times on the ornate headdresses the women wore as they were spectacular in design and structure.

Continuing back towards the door we had come through we noticed for the first time the intricate craftsmanship of the inner palace wall itself. It had several design patterns in shades of black, grey and red. The patterns were both graceful and fluid. Stopping we both took several photographs before proceeding back into the inner area of the palace. Entering through the gate again we turned right heading towards Norakdong. Norakdang was considered to be a family gathering area consisting of ten rooms in the middle and three on the side. It is said that Empress Myongseong learned her royal etiquette and that the wedding was prepared here. This building more so then the others had an air of nobility still surrounding its lattice worked patterns, framing styles and the edifice with the prestigious dragon head upon it. Later at home while I was reading from the information pamphlet I would learn the particular framing style is called choikgong; framing a piece of wood between a roof and a pillar.

The final building which we briefly looked at was called Noandang which served as a retreat for men within the palace. It was said that Heungseon Daewongun spent much of his time here within the six front rooms and three side ones. His daily life was spent discussing and deciding upon major reform plans. One of the noted interesting features on this 19th century building were the eaves which functioned as awnings. On the bus ride home later that day, I read in the pamphlet that in May 1994 while the building was under renovations an article regarding to this building was found called Sangryangmun. Within this article it stated that Heungseon Daewongun was therein referred to as the 2nd highest title, next to majesty. He was regarded as the head of both civil and military officials. The title meant a place where old men stay comfortable, quoted from Confucian Analects. This article contained Heungseon Daewongun's ideas for the creation of the nation, which treated the elderly with respect, and expressed his happiness in his old age.

Unhyeongung Palace is occasionally referred to as Cloud Hanging Over the Valley Palace.

Bongsasik Ceremony refers to a ceremony during which one member of the royal family is chosen as the king. Because the previous king died without a son to succeed him. Consequently, the son of Heungseon Daewongun became the king.

Nakseongsik Ceremony (Tea Ceremony) happened when King Gojong comprehensively rebuilt his private home, Unhyongung Palace, after he had become the king. Here, royal families celebrated the completion of Norakdang and Noandang within Unhyeongung Palace

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Photos

Courtyard
Between Norakdong and Irodang

Exterior
door of side rooms; Irodang

Inner room
Irodang

Irodang
Courtyard in back of building

Inner Wall
Intricate inlay designs

Inner Room
Norakdang

Comments

[Mom]

Very Interesting
Hi, Interesting ......... How do you like the culture over there? I find it interesting how young they were ......... Sounds like lots of cruelty ... went on all over the place. Mankind was not nice to each other. Pictures are great!! Shauna looks cute in her red coat!! I am off to work today, but I will look at them again when I get home. Love, Mom