Step inside private royal chambers of Changdeok Palace

Changdeok Palace will open its private royal chambers in Seoul to visitors beginning Oct. 20 through a limited guided program. The tour includes Huijeongdang, the king’s former bedchamber and administrative hall, and Daejojeon, the queen’s residence, whose interior will open publicly for the first time. The restored spaces combine Joseon-era exteriors with Western features adopted during the early 20th century. Tours run through Oct. 31, with 24 guests selected by lottery for each session.

The 70-minute tours are offered at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday.

Daejojeon was destroyed by fire in 1917 and rebuilt in 1920 during the Japanese colonial period.

Huijeongdang contains an early VIP lavatory, while Daejojeon includes a barbershop built for Sunjong, the last emperor of the Korean Empire.

The restoration project, which began in 2019, revived original roofing, floorboards, window paper, wall coverings and lighting fixtures.

Participation is free for adults aged 19 and older, but palace admission is required; a pilot English-guided tour will be held on Oct. 31.

Published Oct 13, 2026 11:28 am KST

Huijeongdang Hall in Changdeok Palace / Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service

Deep within the UNESCO-listed grounds of Changdeok Palace in central Seoul, behind grand wooden gates that once shielded Korea’s sovereign rulers from public gaze, lies an extraordinary architectural crossroads where centuries of dynastic tradition collide with early 20th-century Western luxury.

Beginning Oct. 20, visitors will step directly into these private living quarters and official chambers through an exclusive guided program hosted by the Changdeok Palace Office under the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the National Heritage Service. The limited-run tour, titled “Entering the Inner Court of Changdeokgung: Living Spaces of the King and Queen,” offers rare entry into Huijeongdang — the royal bedchamber turned administrative hall — and Daejojeon, the queen’s official residence.

While Huijeongdang has been accessible during select special viewings since 2022, this month marks the first time that the interior of Daejojeon will open to the general public.

Destroyed by a devastating fire in 1917 and rebuilt in 1920 during the Japanese colonial period, both structures reflect a poignant turning point in Korean history. On the outside, traditional tiled roofs and swept eaves preserve the classic aesthetic of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty. Yet, inside, the halls tell a startlingly modern story.

The restored interiors reveal Western wallpaper, velvet carpets, glass windowpanes, intricate lampshades and early cast-iron radiators. Royal life was rapidly adapting to global modernism: Huijeongdang features an early VIP lavatory, while Daejojeon houses a dedicated barbershop built for Sunjong, the last emperor of the Korean Empire.

The interior restoration project, active since 2019, has meticulously revived the original roofing, floorboards, window paper, wall coverings, and lighting fixtures of the complex. Magnificent screen paintings — including iconic reproductions of Kim Gyu-jin’s grand landscapes of Mount Geumgang in Huijeongdang, alongside classical phoenix and crane masterworks in Daejojeon — adorn the hall interiors, serving as visual testaments to the court's artistic legacy.

The 70-minute immersive tours run twice daily at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday, until Oct. 31. On the final day, a pilot English-guided tour will welcome foreign residents in Korea.

Participation is free for adults aged 19 and older, though palace admission is required. Capacity is capped at 24 guests per session, selected via a random lottery. Online applications are open on the Changdeok Palace websit e through 10 a.m. Friday, with winners notified via text.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

首尔昌德宫将于10月20日起以限时导览的形式向游客开放其私人寝宫。参观内容包括昔日国王寝宫兼行政厅——熙贞堂，以及王后居所——大祖殿，后者内部将首次对外开放。修复后的建筑融合了朝鲜时代的建筑外观和20世纪初引入的西式元素。参观活动持续至10月31日，每场限24位游客，通过抽签方式选出。

70 分钟的游览活动于周二至周六上午 10 点和下午 2:30 举行。

大祖殿于 1917 年毁于火灾，并于 1920 年在日本殖民时期重建。

会政堂内有一间早期的贵宾盥洗室，而大祖殿内有一间为朝鲜帝国末代皇帝纯宗建造的理发店。

这项始于 2019 年的修复工程，恢复了原有的屋顶、地板、窗纸、墙面装饰和照明设备。

19 岁及以上成年人可免费参加，但需购买宫殿门票；10 月 31 日将举行英语导览试行活动。

发布于2026年10月13日上午11:28（韩国标准时间）

昌德宫回贞堂 / 图片由韩国遗产服务处提供

在首尔市中心被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产的昌德宫深处，在曾经保护韩国君主免受公众注视的宏伟木门之后，隐藏着一个非凡的建筑交汇点，几个世纪的王朝传统与 20 世纪初的西方奢华在这里碰撞交融。

自10月20日起，游客将可通过由国立文物厅皇家宫殿陵墓中心下属的昌德宫事务所举办的独家导览项目，直接进入这些私人起居室和官邸。此次限时开放的导览项目名为“走进昌德宫内廷：国王与王后的居所”，将带领游客难得一见地进入回贞堂（原为国王寝宫，后改为行政大厅）和大祖殿（王后的官邸）。

虽然自 2022 年以来，慧贞堂已在一些特殊场合向公众开放，但本月标志着大祖殿内部首次向公众开放。

这两座建筑分别于1917年毁于一场毁灭性的大火，并于1920年日本殖民统治时期重建，它们都反映了韩国历史上一个意义深远的转折点。从外观上看，传统的瓦顶和斜檐保留了1392年至1910年朝鲜王朝的古典美学。然而，建筑内部却讲述了一个令人耳目一新的现代故事。

修复后的室内装潢展现了西式壁纸、天鹅绒地毯、玻璃窗、精美的灯罩和早期的铸铁暖气片。皇室生活正迅速适应全球现代化：会政堂内设有早期贵宾盥洗室，而大祖殿内则有一间专为朝鲜王朝末代皇帝纯宗建造的理发店。

自2019年启动的内部修复工程，精心复原了建筑群原有的屋顶、地板、窗纸、墙面装饰和照明设备。精美的屏风画——包括回贞堂中金圭真笔下气势恢宏的金刚山风景画的复制品，以及大祖殿中描绘凤凰鹤的古典杰作——装饰着大厅内部，成为宫廷艺术遗产的视觉见证。

从周二到周六，每天上午 10 点和下午 2:30 各有一班 70 分钟的沉浸式导览，持续到 10 月 31 日。最后一天，将举办一场试点英语导览，欢迎在韩外国居民参加。

19岁及以上成人可免费参加，但需购买昌德宫门票。每场活动限24人，名额将通过随机抽签选出。网上报名截止时间为周五上午10点，可通过昌德宫官网进行，中奖者将收到短信通知。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。