Description of the attraction
Deoksugung Palace is one of the five great palaces of the Joseon era. The palace is walled, and members of royal families lived on its territory from the colonial period to the beginning of the twentieth century. The buildings of the palace complex were built from different materials, in the construction of some buildings, Japanese cedar wood (an evergreen tree of the cypress family) was used, there are buildings whose walls are covered with stukko (artificial marble). Several buildings in the complex are built in Western style.
The traditional palace buildings are surrounded by a small garden, through which rocky paths are laid. On the territory of the complex there is a monument to King Sejong the Great, the fourth van (king) of the Joseon state. King Sejong was loved by the common people, and during his reign, an active rise in culture began. In addition, during this period, the scientists of the court academy developed the Hangul alphabet, which is now the basis of the Korean writing system.
The National Museum of Art is located on the territory of the Toxu palace complex, and the City Hall metro station is not far from the palace.
Alas, the Toxu Palace suffered the same fate as the other buildings of the five great palaces - during the colonial period in Korea, it was practically destroyed. Only one third of the buildings survived.
At the central gate of the palace - Taehan - there is a costumed guard who changes three times a day. It was the royal guards who opened and closed the central gates of the palace during the Joseon era. Today this colorful performance attracts many tourists.
