Gyeongbokgung Palace

In a city of modern marvels, the sprawling Gyeongbokgung Palace is a launchpad into Korea’s royal past. Once home to the royal family, this resilient landmark has been standing since 1395. It served as the seat of government for two centuries, then was abandoned for another two centuries, before over three hundred of its majestic buildings on a plot of 410,000 square meters were restored to their original architecture.

Though fire, invasion, and damage inflicted during the Korean War were profoundly disruptive to the foundation of Gyeongbokgung, the palace received another much-needed glow-up in the late twentieth century. This time, architects and craftspeople relied on paintings and old photographs to painstakingly piece together and accurately replicate its original appearance.

The palace’s name roughly means “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven,” which rings true with grand gates that look like they could guard a dragon’s lair. But with no fire-breathers in sight, the guards have to keep busy, and thus five times a day the typically serene courtyard gets a welcome interruption with a colorful changing of the guards—a ceremony attracting the highest number of visitors each day. Some visitors dress in hanbok—traditional Korean clothing—adding to the historical accuracy of the events. It’s also a path to frugality, as renting and donning the sixteen hundredyear-old attire grants you free entry to all five of the grand palaces.

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