Changdeokgung Palace

On our second trip to Seoul, Jennie and I toured the Secret Garden of Changdeokgung Palace.  It began to rain at the beginning of our tour but luckily the rain didn't last long.

The Secret Garden of this palace is the largest and "most beautiful" garden of all the palace compounds.  The garden was a place for the royal family to relax, entertain guests, and enjoy outdoor activities.  It was also used for military exercises, archery contests, farming, and raising silk worms.


Lots of school field trips here today!


The two-story building was the Royal Library full of books from all over the world. The king greatly encouraged reading and studying.  There are three gate entrances below the library; only the king was allowed to walk through the large one.


This is the "Gate of Never Getting Old", carved from one single stone.




This is the women's quarters where the lady of the house usually lived.  There is a separate building for the men where the master of house lived.



The servants' quarters were not embellished with any color.

An old door lock

There were many gazebos throughout the garden, usually next to water.



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"Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace."
~Spanish Proverb

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