SoKor 2015: Huwon, The Secret Garden of Changdeok Palace in Seoul

Imagine feeling bored and tired of your usual routine, so you retire to that garden at the back of your house, where you could smell the fresh air, read a book (or even write one), walk for hours along the picturesque trails, sit inside any of the pavilions and be mesmerized by how calm and still the water on the pond is… Oh wait, I suppose you can only do that if (1) you are royalty and (2) you lived during the Joseon era. You can still catch a glimpse of that long-gone era, however, by checking out Huwon, the Secret Garden of Changdeokgung.

I remember being struck dumb the first time I heard about the hanami, a distinct Japanese activity or hobby where people just sit down and… watch flowers. More like “stare” at them, really. For hours on end.

I thought to myself, “how can anyone stay still for that long, staring at flowers”

But, apparently, it is done. And still being done to this day.

As I grew older, however, my perceptions on the good and fun things to do in life are slowly changing. And the concept of just going out to that garden at the back of your house sounds more appealing.

Especially when your residence is a palace, and the garden is something like Huwon.

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Huwon is the rear garden behind the palace, which was constructed specifically as a resting place for members of the royal family (and the palace women, of course). It’s not really secret, as in no one knows about it, but more along the lines of exclusivity. It is secret, because only the members of the royal family can go inside. Normal folks aren’t allowed. In fact, even officials are forbidden to enter, unless, of course, they have the permission of the King.

Oh, and if you are wondering how big it is, the entire expanse of the garden is 78 acres or 31.5 hectares (.315 square kilometers). That makes up roughly 60% of the entire palace grounds. In short, the garden is actually wider than the area where the structures in the palace are.

The garden is open to the visiting public, but only with guides. There are scheduled guided tours daily, with a maximum of 100 people per group. We were able to get into the 10:30am group.

After walking around Nakseonjae (read my last blog post about that), Lorei and I went to the Secret Garden Entrance and joined the others who are waiting.

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At 10:30am, a middle-aged lady dressed in a hanbok (and a mic and speaker) rounded everyone up and we entered past the gate. The group was very diverse, with Asians, Caucasians and even a couple of black Americans. I don’t think there were around a hundred of us, but it could be close to 40 or 50. Still, it was a big group.

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When King Taejeong had the garden constructed, he made it a point not to mess with the natural terrain too much. As a result, the garden flowed naturally with nature, with the only interference seen in the forms of the pavilions and other structures built on it. They did not create walkways; instead they just carved trails.

And why would they? It is beautiful enough as it is.

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After leaving the entrance or the Hamyangmun (Hamyang Gate), we walked for around 5 minutes until we got to lay our eyes on this:

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That is the Buyongji, or the Buyong Pond. It is a square lotus pond with a tree in a small island in the middle. This must be even more beautiful in the fall (when everything’s orange and fiery red), but I already found it quite captivating in the summer.

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That building right there, is the Juhamnu, a two-storey structure that was used as a library and reading room of the King. This is where he does his reading and writing whenever he retreats to the Garden. (King Jeongjo was the first to use it since it was constructed in 1776.)

The first floor was the library and office of the King, and it is called Gyukanggak. The second floor was the reading room.

The small gate that leads up to it is called the Eosomun, or the Eoso Gate. And no, visitors are not allowed to enter the library. They are only allowed up to the side of the pond.

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Across the pond from the Juhamnu is a small pavilion called the Buyeongjeong.

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We moved further into the Secret Garden and walked into a side gate to enter another area, the Aeryeonjeong vicinity.

This area was constructed by then Crown Prince Hyomyeong, the first son of King Sunjo. An active royal, the Crown Prince already began administering state affairs on behalf of his father (although he died at the very young age of 22). This area was his domain in the garden.

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The Crown Prince had this modest structure built (said to be the most modest in the entire garden). It is called the Uiduhap, which was the Crown Prince’s study.

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There is a wall (with passages, of course) that separates the Uiduhap from the Aeryeonji Pond, yet another lotus pond that inspires contemplation and serenity.

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Here’s a closer look at the Aeryenjeong Pavilion, which is basically the pavilion by the Aeryeonji Pond.

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What follows is more walking along a nature trail, with the forest above you and on your right, and a pond dotted with pavilions on your left. We just lagged behind, taking photos, instead of listening to the tour guide, haha!

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You can’t help but notice the numerous pavilions constructed around the pond/stream. They must be really great places to just laze around and sleep in. It was the middle of the day when we were there, and I was imagining what bliss it would be like to lie down inside one of those structures after a full meal. Ahhhhhh~ bliss~

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Walking further on, we walked past the Ongnyucheon, or Ongnyu Stream area. Since it was mid-summer, the stream was dried up, except for a small trickle of water.

The stream runs through Huwon, and it feeds the ponds in the Garden. By the way, Ongnyucheon means “Jade Stream”. The water channel is U-shaped, going around the terrain of the boulders and the several pavilions built in the area.

At the top of the water channel is a boulder, which has a poem inscribed on it. The rock is called the “Soyoam Rock”, and the poem, which talked about the Ongnyucheon landscape, was written by King Sukjong himself.

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This is one of the five pavilions around the Ongnyucheon area. Personally, I found the mix of human architecture thrown in against the backdrop of nature to be tastefully done. Imagine if there were glass and chrome structures instead of these wood and carved pavilions. It would have been so different, and not entirely in a good way.

The garden looked intimate, which was what they were aiming for, I suppose, since this is where the King and his leading officials had their private parties, writing and sharing poems, and “sending wine cups afloat on the waters” of the stream.

Oh, wait, they don’t drink it? Haha! The very idea of wine cups floating on the stream sounds so romantic, though, don’t you think?

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There was an area that required descending through a rocky trail. Others, especially the older ones, decided to opt out and just wait at the pavilion up top. The rest of us went down to check out the Yeongyeongdang complex.

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The Yeongyeongdang complex is a residential area built in 1827. It was initially constructed as an audience hall, presumably where ceremony officials will present food, wine and other presents to the King and Queen. Crown Prince Hyomyeong had this constructed in honor of his father.

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Inside the complex, the highlight is the Yeongyeongdang residence, where the actual ceremony take place. I think that is why they have those table-like structure laid out in front of the building.

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Adjacent to it is the Seonhyangjae, which was built to serve as a study. It is also where books are stored (man, they love to read, don’t they).

Apparently, it was also where guests were often greeted. This time around, though, it was where guests took refuge from the heat of the sun, haha!

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We were left on our own to explore the complex, peeking into the rooms and sitting down to rest our legs. Normally, it would not be so tiring, but the summer heat wasn’t helping any.

After walking around the complex, we went back up the way we came, which meant a brisk climb up the same stony trail.

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When we arrived at the top, it also marked the end of the tour. All in all, the tour lasted an hour and a half. 90 minutes, which was exactly what was stated on the schedules.

The Garden was very wide, but that does not mean that the whole area was open to the public, guided tour or otherwise. There was a strict tour route that must be followed, and a time frame to stick to.

We bid goodbye to our guide, and walked towards the exit indicated by the signs.

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On the way, we passed by this sight.

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That is Natural Monument No. 194, the Changdeokgung Chinese Juniper.

Believed to be 750 years old, this tree was planted in this area to provide incense for ancestral rituals performed at the nearby Seonwonjeon Shrine. Juniper wood is chosen because of its aromatic properties, making it perfect for incense rituals.

This tree is 5.6m tall and 5.9m in circumference at the widest part of its trunk. I am always amazed at how the South Koreans preserve their trees.

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Finally, at 12:10noon, it was time for us to bid goodbye to the Secret Garden, and to Changdeokgung. We barely have time to go to our last destination before heading to the airport and catch our flight back home. *weeps*

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This is a good place to include in your Seoul itinerary. Best in fall and summer, I think. I’d love to visit it during fall.

Ask some people, and many would say that the Secret Garden is the main reason for visiting this Palace. Don’t get me wrong, the Palace, too, has its charms, but the highlight would definitely be Huwon.

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