Korean palace

Palaces of Korea is an architecture of palaces built during the reign of kingdoms and dynasties in ancient Korea.[1][2] Although the palaces of Korea followed the ancient Chinese principles, Korea has maintained an independent culture for 2000 years, thus resulting in various differences. Korean people still preserved the original element in their architecture that shows no similarities to China or Japan.[2]

Gyeongbokgung, the primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea.

The kingdoms in Korean history have built capital cities and palaces started from 1 BC, but their forms were unknown. The palaces of Gojoseon (2333–250 BC) cannot be traced at all. The palaces of Three Kingdoms can be imagined, mainly from some historical records and sites. The palace of Goguryeo was the Anhak Palace. After the capital was moved to Pyeongyang, there was a need for a new palace. Thus, in 427 AD, the Anhak palace was built. Baekje maintained its palaces in Sabi (modern-day Buyeo) and Gongju. Silla had its palace, known as the Banwolseong, within Gyeongju.

The earliest evidences that show the concrete Korean architecture can be explored from the architecture of Gaegyeong, the capital of Goryeo Dynasty.[2] The palace of Goryeo was the Manwoldae.

During the Joseon dynasty, there were five palaces built. The Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and Gyeonghuigung.

  • Model reconstruction of the Anapji Pond royal complex, a part of the Banwolseong.
  • Destroyed remnants of the Manwoldae
  • The Changdeokgung Palace of the Joseon Dynasty
  • Changgyeonggung of the Joseon Dynasty
  • Royal architecture in the Deoksu Palace of Joseon.

Principles of ancient China

According to the Rites of Zhou ("Zhouli") containing the ways and principles to build an ideal nation, a city has to be square and walled. Each of its 4 sides has 9 li long (1 lis is measured 0,4 km). Three roads stretched from north to south are crisscrossed with 3 roads stretched from the east to the west. Each side is guarded with a gate. The palace where king lived is placed in the center with the ancestors shrine on the left and the grain and earth altar on the right. Court and market is placed in front of and behind the palace respectively.

The ancestral shrine is a place where the king and his family honor their forefathers. In the altar of grain and earth, the sacrificial rites were conducted to ask for a bountiful harvest every year. The arrangement of ancestor shrine and sacrificial altar on each side of the palace symbolized the patronage from ancestor and heaven to the king. Meanwhile, the court location symbolized the nation's interest must be preferred by the ministers. The market symbolized the people contributing in trading.

According to Zhou Rite, city and palace are protected by interior wall (gungseong) and exterior wall (hwangseong). Many cities built following the Zhou principles were protected with 3 layers of mighty wall with the palace in the center. The outer wall surrounded the offices and citizen's homes. The famous cities that followed these principles are Chang'an, capital of Tang Dynasty (6th c.) and Beijing, capital of Ming Dynasty (14th c.) in China. In Japan Heijokyo (Nara) was modeled from Chang’an in smaller scale.

References
  1. Korean Architecture, asianinfo.org. Accessed: 01-02-2011.
  2. Kim, Dong-uk (2006). Palaces of Korea. Seoul: Hollym Corp. ISBN 1-56591-224-1.
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