[Suwon City Tour] - Hwaseong Haenggung Palace (화성행궁)

Suwon Hwaseong Haenggung Palace (화성행궁)

with 600 kan was the biggest rural palace in Joseon Dynasty.

It's the travelling lodge when King Jeongjo paid visit to his father's royal tomb.

Due to party's rivalry, his grandfather, King Yeongjo issued a royal decree that ordered his father, Crown Prince Sadoseja to climb inside a rice chest. Sadoseja tragically died of starving and suffocating after 8 hot days being locked inside. 

I can feel his sadness when watching Sageuk drama Secret Door (비밀의 문).  He'd to witness his father's death and unable to do anything as he's still a young teenager.

King Jeongjo began making plans to move his father's grave after thirteen years after ascended to the throne (1789). He scoured the entire country and decided upon Suwon’s Yungrung Tomb as the mountain was considered as the best place to build tombs according to the theory of geomancy.

The most important reason of King Jeongjo built Hwaseong Fortress was showing his filial piety to his father... Therefore, Suwon is know as 'City of Filial Piety'.

After our first destination at Haewoojae Toilet House, the bus pass through Hwaseomun, It's the West Gate of the 5.52km fortress with one-story gate tower over the rainbow gate surrounded with parapet. Unlike Paldalmun or Janganmun, it has a half-moon type ravelin with one side open in the front of the gate with an elegant hipped and gabled roof.

Admission ticket is included in Suwon City Tour.
Add: Namchang-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.

We arrive at Hwaseong Haenggung. The guide told us that there's Muye24Ki Traditional Korean Martial Arts Performance will start soon. We've to be quick if we want to take a look inside the Haenggung Palace.

 Wow... they're preparing for the performance behind the door :)


 Bongsudang Hall (Jangnamheon), which means
"to plead for a long enough life," for King Jeongjo's mother.

The central building of the palace is the royal audience chamber at Hwaseong Haenggung , appears in scenes of “Love in the Moonlight” as the living quarters of the Crown Prince. Early into the second episode, Eunuch Jang introduces the building to Ra-on as “the palace of the Crown Prince.” Hwaseong Haenggung Palace is also the location of the scene in episode three, when Ra-on is slapped by Queen Kim. (Source) 

 

Hyegyeonggung Hongsi (King Jeongjo's mother) stayed in 

Jangnakdang (장락당) during the Eulmyowonhaeng

(King’s long journey in the year of eulmyo)  in 1795.

Jangnakdang was built at the same time as Hwaseong Fortress in 1794.

it was located south of Bongsudang facing the east.

  

The name Jangnakdang originated from the palace called 

Jangnakgung in Janganseong. King Jeongjo inscribed the tablet himself.

King Jeongjo celebrated his mother 60th birthday here.

  He also lived with his mother after abdicating the crown to his son, King Sunjo.


  In peacetime, the Hwaseong yusu stayed at this building,
but when King Jeongjo paid a visit to Hwaseong, he used
Yuyeotaek (유여택) as reception room to meet his subjects here.


 Yuyeotaek is located between the east side of Bongnaedang and Oejeongniso.
When this building was constructed in 1790, it was called Eunyakeon,
 but changed its name to Yuyeotaek when it was extended in 1796.

Namgunyeong (남군영) was built in 1789 and was extended to 62 rooms in 1794.

 200 mounted warriors stayed, 100 each on the left and right side of this structure. 

 From 1798, only 100 soldiers were posted here following a military reorganization. 

 Seoricheong (서리청) was the place for Seori. Seori was a town official 

that in charge of recording, receiving, and issuing documents. 

Seoricheong It faces the south and is located in front of Bijangcheong. 

In 1795, it was used as a royal kitchen at the time of Eulmyowonhaeng.

Bijangcheong (비장청) was the place for Bijang. Bijang was a staff member
who accompanied local officers like Gwanchalsa or Jeoldosa. In the latter part
of the Joseon Dynasty, it became a custom for various levels of officers to be
accompanied by a Bijang. It was constructed in 1789 as a Seoricheong,
but remodeled as a Bijangcheong in 1796.

In 1795, a feast was held for King Jeongjo's mother's 60th birthday.

70 kinds of food decorated with 42 artificial flowers were arranged on
this royal banguet  Jinchan-yeon for Lady Hyegyeong-gung Hong-si,
mother of King Jeongjo. It's held at the front yard of Bongsudang.

 Now it's time to watch 24 Korean Traditional Art Performance!

King Jeongjo ordered Lee Deok-mu and Park Je-ga, who were Silhak Scholars,
and Baek Dong-so to record  24 Martial Arts in the book "Muyeodobotongji".

 

The goal of this book was  to standardize the martial arts and battle tactics

 that adapted from Joseon Dynasty and from Joseon Dynasty 

and some from China and Japan.

 ‘Mooyedobotongji’ describes total of 24 battle techniques and tactics in drawing

to explain the movements of each of the martial arts techniques.

This performance including: long spear, spear with flag attached, Dangpa spear,
Nangseon spear, Woldo (curved sword), Hyeopdo (a type of sword), short sword.

You can watch their awesome performance here...

 Wow... there were so many people standing behind us

including this group of young and old carrying flags

in front of sacred Hongsalmun (Red Gate).

 That day was 1st of March...
They're celebrating Independence Movement Day.

After this Suwon tour ended, we visited 

Seodaemun Prison History Museum (서대문형무소역사관)

대한민국 만세~!!!

[Jeonju Sago] - Joseon Wangjo Sillok (조선 왕조 실록)

Jeonju Sago wooden building was specially designed and constructed with raised floor to avoid wet when raining and good ventilation. It's now housing copy of Joseon Wangjo Sillok (Annals of the Joseon Dynasty). Before that, these Annals were stored in Seunguisa Temple located in Jeonju castle, then moved to the Jinnammu Pavilion in the rear garden of the temple's guest house. 

Jeonju Sago (전주 사고).

This Jeonju Sago building which holds the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty appears in episode 10 of  “Love in the Moonlight.”, when Ra-on hurts her foot. The Crown Prince becomes jealous when seeing the other eunuchs assisting Ra-on here. He punished Ra-on with a kiss on her cheek as she didn't obey his order. 

Wangjo Sillok Joseon (Chosun Dynasty)

 UNESCO's Memory of the World Registry 

Busy Sagwan (사관) inside Chunchugwan (춘추관).

The guide told us a story... King Sejong ever asked the historian to let him read his Father's Sillok. As at that time, King was not allowed to read or review them, they told King Sejong that if he did so, Sagwan will record it in his Sillok. At the end, King Sejong gave up after listened to that statement. 

Haha... It's kinda funny! I think sagwan really did good job to keep records of the actual details! And I'm amazed by the durability and recycling process of hanji paper...

Procedure on preservation of Sillok and discarding method of Sacho.

Evacuation and Repositories of Sillok.

The original Sillok are kept in the Gyujanggak Archives in Seoul National University, and they're available online for reading. These Sillok were written in classical Chinese even after King Sejong invented Hangul. 

Therefore, I've to wait until they translated them to English or maybe watch more Saeguk dramas, which well-written story lines were based on cultural & historical references from Annals. Though, sometimes they added some fictional characters and situations in "Princess' Man" that made it more dramatic, romantic and spectacular to watch. 

I'm currently watching Gunman in Joseon plotting in Emperor Gojong's reign. However, the Annals of Last Two Emperors (King Gojong and King Sunjong) not included in Joseon Wangjo Sillok because they're written during the Japanese occupation in Korea, which the compilation might have been influenced by Japanese as well as the falsification of historical events.

Related Posts:

[Jeonju] - Evening at Omokdae Pavilion(오목대)

[Jeonju] - Hanbyeokdang Pavilion (한벽당)

[Jeonju] - Cheongyeonru Pavilion (청연루)

[Jeonju] - Gyeonggijeon Main Hall (경기전 정전)

 uzz Korea, Buzz-Korea, Korea

[Jeonju] - Gyeonggijeon Main Hall (경기전 정전)

Though didn't manage to submit full story of Gyeonggijeon in webtoon for 'Korea, My Love' event.  I'll continue to compile the photos in cartoon version for this posting even it took longer time for me to edit them... Hope you like and enjoy it~^^

Do you know that every last Wednesday of the month is designated as It's Cultural day in Korea? People can have free or discounted admissions to palaces, museums, national theaters, and participated private cultural institutions or galleries. 

Coincidentally, we visited this Historical Site no. 339, Gyeonggijeon Shrine on Cultural Day. Besides free admission, we also enjoyed awesome free English guided tour which I want to share here...

Do take note that you need to gather in front of Hongsalmun at 11:00 am to join that free English tour. 

Gyeonggijeon means palace built on auspicious ground. 

It's built in 1410 (10th year of Taejong) to enshrine the royal portrait of 

his father King Taejo (the founder of Joseon Dynasty). 

The guide explained to us why there is  red gate with no door standing there. We followed here as she's walking through this gate. Then, she congratulated and praised us that we all manage to pass through this gate! ㅎㅎ

Then, we stopped again under this tree and listen to interesting things about this 'naked tree' ...

Baerong Tree: "Please stop tickling me~!"

'Road of God (신도)'

According to oriental concept... the sun rise in the East,  and set in 

the West, you should go in from the right and come out from left side. 

We're blocked by this small red fence, and the guide asked us to turn right to go inside after explaining the reason behind it. We didn't guess correctly when she asked to guess what were the two ornaments on the middle of the roof. Do you want to make a guess? No... no, not coffee beans! They're tortoises~! 

This main hall is where the portrait of King Taejo enshrined. This place has hidden cultural code the power of chief gatekeeper might have been great. The carpenter put these two tortoises on the roof for its eternity. It's believed that they prevented this wooden building safe from burnt down during Japanese invasion.

Another hidden code is at the main entrance of Gyeonggijeon on the roadside. On the 'Hamabi' tortoise monument, it's written '至此皆下馬雜人毋得入' meaning: 'Anyone who arrives here should dismount from their horse disregard of their classes and social position, and outsiders are forbidden from entering'.

Photo: Source

In front of King Taejo's portrait, we're asked to count the claws on the king's robe (곤룡포 = Gollyongpo). The guide told us that you can know the position from their robes. Five-clawed dragon (오조룡보 ohjoeryongbo) emblem is for the King, the Crown Prince has four-clawed dragon (사조룡보 sajoeryongbo), while three-clawed dragon (삼조룡보 samjoeryongbo) for the eldest son of the Crown Prince. 

Walking from main hall to Jeonju Sago, we passed this beautiful bamboo garden and Maehwa tree...

Gyeonggjeon featured in movie 'Masquerade', 'My Way', and drama 'Painter of the Wind'.

"Masquerade" filming location.

This movie is an interpretation of the missing 15 days in the Annals of Joseon Dynasty during Gwanghae's reign—designated by his 1616 journal entry, "One must not record that which he wishes to hide."

It's also major filming site of “Love in the Moonlight,” This lush bamboo grove inside the grounds of the shrine appeared in the first episode of the drama, when Ra-on entered the palace as a eunuch, meets the Crown Prince during her attempt to run away.

'Precious' Maehwa (매화나무) and

Four Gentlemen Plants (사군자)...

Related Posts:

[Jeonju Sago] - Joseon Wangjo Sillok (조선 왕조 실록)

[Gyeonggijeon] - Royal Portrait Museum (어진박물관) 

[Jeonju] - Evening at Omokdae Pavilion(오목대)

[Jeonju] - Hanbyeokdang Pavilion (한벽당)

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