Huijeongdang Hall of Changdeokgung Palace

Huijeongdang Hall was originally used as royal sleeping quarters, but from the late Joseon period it served as the king's office. The exact date of its original construction is not known, but in 1496, the second year of King Yeonsangun, a building called Sungmundang burned down and was rebuilt under the name Huijeongdang. It was subsequently rebuilt several more times after fires; the present building was erected in 1920, after the previous one burned down in 1917 during the Japanese colonial period, using timber taken from Gangnyeongjeon Hall, the royal sleeping quarters of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was dismantled for the purpose. It measures 11 bays across the front and 5 bays along the side, a Korean-style building with Western-style interior decoration. The roof is a hipped-and-gabled roof that forms the shape of the character 八 (eight) when viewed from the side. Nine bays across the front and three bays along the side form the living quarters, surrounded by a corridor. Of the nine front bays, three form a reception room, with a meeting room to the west and several rooms divided off to the east. In the reception room hang murals by Kim Gyu-jin depicting the scenic view of Chongseokjeong Pavilion in Geumgangsan Mountain and the wondrous scenery of Manmulcho in Geumgangsan Mountain. At the front of the building is an entrance porch not seen in traditional buildings, fitted out so that carriages or automobiles could pull up to it — a Western-style feature adopted once carriages and later automobiles came into use. Used in the late Joseon period and the Korean Empire era as the king's office and as a place to receive foreign envoys, the building blends Korean and Western styles, offering a glimpse into the changes of its era.

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Where it is

Region

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물