Gyeongmogung Shrine Site, Seoul

Hamchunwon was a garden of the Joseon period, located on the site now occupied by the Seoul National University College of Medicine's affiliated hospital. According to the Donggukyeojibigo, a geographical gazetteer, gardens called Hamchunwon existed to the east of Changgyeonggung Palace and to the south of Gaeyangmun Gate of Gyeonghuigung Palace, among other palace gardens of that name; but judging from its location and scale, the most representative of these was the one east of Changgyeonggung Palace. Hamchunwon began when Changgyeonggung Palace was built in the fifteenth year of King Seongjong (1484); following the principles of pungsu, or geomancy, trees were planted here and a wall built around the area, forbidding entry to unauthorised persons. In the twenty-fourth year of King Seongjong (1493) it was formally named and became a garden attached to Changgyeonggung Palace. Under Yeonsangun, the houses of commoners outside Hamchunwon were cleared and the garden extended; troops were stationed there to forbid passage by ordinary people, and a main gate was built. Afterwards, King Jungjong allowed the people to return and live there again. During the Japanese invasions of Korea the body of Lady Deokbin was temporarily buried there among other things, and the garden's upkeep gradually became neglected; under King Injo, half of Hamchunwon was allotted to the Taebok-si, the office in charge of the royal horses and carriages. For the following 140-odd years it was used as a place to raise horses. In the fortieth year of King Yeongjo (1764), the shrine of Crown Prince Sado was moved here and rebuilt; when King Jeongjo came to the throne he named the place Gyeongmogung, and in the ninth year of King Jeongjo (1785) the surrounding area was reorganised. In the third year of the Gwangmu era (1899), the spirit tablet of King Jangjo — that is, Crown Prince Sado — was moved from Gyeongmogung to Jongmyo Shrine, whereupon Gyeongmogung lost its function and its name was changed to Gyeongmojeon. In the fourth year of Gwangmu (1900), Yeongheejeon Shrine, which enshrined the portraits of the six sage kings — King Taejo, King Sejo, King Seongjong, King Sukjong, King Yeongjo and King Sunjo — was relocated and rebuilt on the site of Gyeongmogung. Later, after Japan forcibly annexed Korea, Gyeongseong Imperial University was built over the Gyeongmogung site, and most of its original appearance was lost; the old buildings were then burned down during the Korean War, so that its original form can no longer be seen. Hamchunwon was one of the refined structures of the late Joseon period, and the only relic remaining today is Hamchunmun Gate. (Renamed from Hamchunwonji to Seoul Gyeongmogung Shrine Site, notified on 28 July 2011.)

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Designation

Historic Site · 사적