[Recommended Walking Trail in Seoul] Walk and Enjoy Fresh and Green Springtime at Changgyeonggung Palace

The royal palaces that are located right in the center of the city is a wonderful place to visit at anytime during the four seasons. Especially in spring, you can feel the lively green atmosphere at these palaces. In this post, we are bringing you to the Changgyeonggung Palace where you can enjoy a nice walk on a lovely Spring day.

 

The operating hours for Changgyeonggung Palace is from 9am to 9pm (even available for evening admission). 

To enter the palace, you can purchase the ticket from Honghwamun Gate, the main entrance of Changgyeonggung Palace. Due to COVID-19, it is using a non face-to-face method for the entry and you can use transportation cards (T-Money / Cashbee) or mobile payments (Samsung Pay, Mobile Transportation Card).

The first thing you see after entering the palace is the Okcheongyo Bridge. After you have crossed the Okcheongyo Bridge that can help to prevent bad energy, you will see the Myeongjeongjeon Hall (the oldest Main Hall among palaces). This Main Hall is smaller than the ones in Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace because Changgyeonggung Palace was not built for political matters, but  as the residential place for the Queen.

After walking passed the palace's buildings, and continue on the walking trail, you can get to the Chundangji Pond. On the way to Chundangji Pond, you will be greeted by the Korean azaleas that blooms after the cherry blossoms.

From the pictures above, you can see the spectacular view at the Chundangji pond, which has the sight of light green leaves, blue sky, and even some birds. It is recommended to take a walk around the pond that is filled with Spring atmosphere, or just sit for a while and enjoy Spring.

Together with the history of Changgyeonggung Palace, there is a zelkova tree that is more than 300-year-old also producing fresh green leaves.

If you walk along the path around Chundangji pond, you will arrive at the Daeonsil (great greenhouse) of Changgyeonggung Palace. The Daeonsil was built by the Japanese to downgrade the status of Changgyeonggung Palace, but it was not demolished because it is meaningful in terms of the history of architecture and modern cultural heritage. After the restoration of Changgyeonggung Palace, they exhibits the Korean wild plants here.

Due to COVID-19, the Daeonsil is currently not in operation. Thus, you can only peek through the windows.

If you visit Korea in late Spring, how about coming to Changgyeonggung Palace for a walk and feel the beauty of the green nature before Spring ended?

Please remember to follow the COVID-19 preventive guidelines such as wearing face mask, keeping social distancing of 2m, obey cough etiquette, wash hands frequently, etc, even when you are visiting Changgyeonggung Palace!

[Information about Changgyeonggung Palace]

 1. Getting There: At AREX Seoul Station, Transfer to Subway Line 4 ▶ Get off at Hyehwa Station Exit 3, Walk 14 mins

 2. Address: 185 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

 3. Operating Hours: Tues - Sun: 09:00 - 21:00 (Last admission 20:00) / Closed on Mondays

 4. Admission Fee: Adult (Age 25~64) KRW 1,000

 5. Contact Number: +82-2-762-4868

 6. Website: http://cgg.cha.go.kr/