After a three-year hiatus, overseas language-guided nighttime excursions at South Korea’s Changdeokgung Palace will resume tomorrow, Might 28.
Known as the ‘Moonlight Tour’, the night-time tour permits guests to take pleasure in a night stroll across the royal palace holding a ‘cheongsachorong’, or a standard lantern to gentle the way in which.
The guided tour is organised by the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Middle and the Korea Cultural Heritage Basis.
Whereas the night-time tour was open to public in 2021 and 2022 as nicely, it’s the first time for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic that overseas guests will have the ability to guide guided excursions in English, Chinese language, and Japanese languages.
The overseas language guided excursions for overseas vacationers and non-Korean audio system will likely be accessible on two nights solely – Might 28 and June 4.
Changdeokgung was designated a Unesco (United Nations Academic, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage Website in 1997. Although broken, destroyed, rebuilt, and changed all through its historical past, it’s identified to be probably the most well-preserved palace of all of the royal palaces from the Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910).
The palace is the second oldest in Seoul after Gyeongbokgung and was used as a secondary palace when first constructed. Situated east of Gyeongbokgung Palace, it’s thought to be a masterpiece of Korean palace structure.
The Unesco web site states that the palace was constructed following the ideas of pungsu-jiri, Korea’s model of Chinese language feng shui. It’s an historical architectural precept, which includes the inserting or arranging of buildings or different websites auspiciously, primarily based on topography, to deliver peace and prosperity.
Picture Credit score: unesco.org
Based on the official web site of the palace, it was in-built 1405 by King Taejong, the third ruler of Joseon.
“All palaces in Seoul have been burnt down throughout the Japanese invasion in 1592, and Changdeokgung Palace grew to become the primary palace to be rebuilt in 1610. Since then, it grew to become the first palace for about 270 years the place 13 kings together with the final monarch handled state affairs,” says the web site.
The palace can also be well-known amongst vacationers for the Huwon Secret Backyard. The 78-acre backyard takes up about sixty per cent of the palace grounds and was used as a spot of leisure by members of the royal household.
Based on an April 6 article on the South Korean information web site koreaherald.com: “[During the tour,] guests will begin at Donhwamun and stroll by main buildings corresponding to Injeongjeon, the primary corridor, and Huijeongdang, the reception corridor. Guests will likely be handled to the sounds of ‘daegeum,’ a standard Korean woodwind instrument, and ‘ajaeng,’ a standard string instrument, on the backyard of Nakseonjae.
“Upon coming into the Buyongji Pond space, guests will come throughout a reenactment of the king and queen strolling within the backyard.
“A standard Korean musical efficiency may also be staged on the Yeongyeongdang Corridor, which was constructed by Crown Prince Hyomyeong as a banquet venue. A standard dance referred to as ‘Bosangmu’ has been newly added to this yr’s program. The dance was created by the crown prince to have a good time the fortieth birthday of his mom, Queen Sunwon, in 1828.”
The tour often takes one and a half hours, and one ticket prices 30,000 gained (Dh83.24).