Sunday, August 3, 2014

"Blessed By Heaven"

Where: Seoul, South Korea
When: October 2009


Gyeongbukgung (literal translation: "Palace Greatly Blessed By Heaven") has not always been the serene, peaceful haven you see here. The largest of the five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty, it was first constructed in 1395 and later abandoned for centuries, reconstructed, destroyed by Japan during its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, and reconstructed again. This hexagonal building is Hwangwonjeong, built in 1873 on a pond that had been constructed more than 400 years earlier. In true keeping with the constant state of change in the palace, the bridge you see on the right was on the other side of the island before being destroyed in the Korean War.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.