Royal experience for a night at Seoul palace

Seoul, as Korea’s capital with 500 years of Joseon Dynasty history, is full of historical relics and traces. Among them are the city’s traditional palaces, an indispensable part of cultural inheritance, but access to them has been limited in many ways and for many reasons. 

Visitors to the palaces were normally allowed to look from outside the sites from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but were banned from taking off their shoes and entering rooms or structures. So spending the night at a palace was out of the question.

Yet the government has chosen to temporarily open such sacred grounds to the public. The Cultural Heritage Administration has introduced a cultural interactive program at the palaces. Geared toward the children of multicultural families and those living far from urban centers, the program offers the chance to spend the night at a palace for cultivating a better understanding about Korea’s traditional culture and customs. 

The program on June 7 took place at Changgyeonggung Palace, one of Seoul’s five major castles along with Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Gyeonghuigung. Changgyeonggung was built in 1484 under the reign of King Seongjong (1469~ 1494), who wanted to build a grand residence for his mother, grandmother and aunt. Changgyeonggung was a symbol of the monarch’s filial affection as well as a cozy and comfortable shelter for his families, and was never used for political affairs.

After being burned down during the Japanese invasion of Korea in the 16th century, the palace was rebuilt in the 17th century but damaged again in the next century by fire. It was restored in 1834 under King Sunjo (1800~ 1834) but continued to suffer a bitter fate. In 1909, Japan occupied Korea and constructed a botanical garden and zoo in Changgyeonggung, downgrading it to Changgyeongwon. In 1983, the palace was ultimately restored to its original splendor. 

Participating students walk towards their sleeping quarters holding traditional Korean lanterns.

At Changgyeonggung Palace, 15 elementary school students from Daejeon gathered on June 7. The program began with a class on traditional etiquette in the Joseon Dynasty. The participants learned to walk in a slow pace with their hands folded and seating upright with their knees down. 

Tongmyeongjeon, a former residence for the queen, was where the participants stayed for the night. Here, they learned how to wear traditional attire and sleep at the palace as well as lessons from the tea ceremony. 

The interactive program has also piqued the interest of foreign passers-by. “Korea’s etiquette education seems interesting and unique,” said Berit Heidemann, a teacher at a German school in Seoul. She also asked what the program involved.

Members of the Netherland Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra also looked in curiosity, calling it “very exotic.” 

After dinner, the students continued on to the highlight of the night program: mask making. The palace was not far from the bright and dazzling city center but with the fresh air from the lush greenery in the darkness, it felt worlds away. 

At 10 p.m., only a little lamp lit up Tongmyeongjeon. All the participants had gone to sleep. 

“The program was supposed to run on a small scale but has been spread by word of mouth, and we’ve gotten many requests these days,” said Lee Geun-young, an official at the Cultural Heritage Administration. “The program has inspired us to think about more programs open to different groups in society.” 

The Cultural Heritage Administration can be contacted at +082-42- 481-4746