Rarely opened gate links 2 Seoul palaces for exclusive night tours

The Korea Heritage Service will open a normally closed gate between Changdeok Palace and Changgyeong Palace in central Seoul for the ticketed Donggwol Dongnak night tour from Nov. 10-15. The 110-minute program combines guided visits to both palaces with time to explore their rear gardens. Visitors can pass through Yeongchunmun, watch a traditional music performance and see short plays along the route.

The palaces were collectively known as Donggwol, or the Eastern Palaces, during the Joseon Dynasty because they stood east of Gyeongbok Palace.

Guides portraying court painters from Dohwaseo will lead visitors through major halls of Changgyeong Palace and the rear garden of Changdeok Palace.

The tour runs four times nightly, starting at 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets cost 40,000 won each, with a limit of two per person, and will be allocated by lottery for the first time.

Applications open on Ticketlink at 2 p.m. Thursday and close Oct. 28; winners will be announced after 5 p.m. Oct. 30. Changgyeong Palace’s regular night viewing will be suspended during the event.

Published Oct 21, 2026 2:38 pm KST

Updated Oct 21, 2026 3:53 pm KST

Visitor enjoy an evening media art event at Changgyeong Palace in Seoul, Oct. 7. Yonhap

Visitors will be able to walk between Changdeok Palace and Changgyeong Palace in central Seoul at night next month through a gate that is normally closed to the public, as part of a ticketed night tour, the Korea Heritage Service said Wednesday.

The tour, called “Donggwol Dongnak,” runs from Nov. 10-15. It is organized by the agency’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center and the Korea Heritage Agency. The two palaces were together known as Donggwol, or the “Eastern Palaces,” during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) because they stood east of Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace.

The 110-minute program combines a guided tour of both palaces with free time to explore their rear gardens. Guides playing court painters from Dohwaseo, the Joseon-era royal bureau of painting, will lead participants through major halls of Changgyeong Palace and the rear garden of Changdeok Palace. Short plays about historical figures linked to each site will be staged at four stops along the route.

During the free-viewing time, participants can pass through Yeongchunmun, a gate between the palaces’ rear gardens that is usually off-limits, and move freely between the two gardens. They can watch a traditional Korean music performance at Yeonghwadang Pavilion and take photos with actors recreating daily life at the royal court. Refreshments will be served, and each participant will receive a tumbler as a souvenir.

The tour runs four times a night, starting at 6 pm, 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost 40,000 won ($30) each. Tickets are limited to two per person.

For the first time, tickets will be allocated through a lottery to make bookings fairer. Applications open on Ticketlink at 2 p.m., Thursday, and close Oct. 28. Winners will be announced after 5 p.m. on Oct. 30. People aged 65 and older, people with disabilities and national merit recipients can also book by phone starting Nov. 5.

Changgyeong Palace’s regular night viewing will be suspended during the event period.

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

韩国文化遗产厅将于11月10日至15日期间，开放首尔市中心昌德宫和昌庆宫之间通常不对外开放的大门，供游客参加需购票入场的“东月东乐”夜游活动。这项时长110分钟的活动包含两座宫殿的导览参观，并留出时间让游客探索其后花园。游客可以途经永春门，欣赏传统音乐表演，并观看沿途的短剧。

在朝鲜王朝时期，这些宫殿统称为东月，或称东宫，因为它们位于景福宫的东边。

扮演道华西宫廷画家的导游将带领游客参观昌庆宫的主要殿堂和昌德宫的后花园。

该游览活动每晚四场，分别于下午6点、6点半、7点和7点半开始。

门票每张售价 40,000 韩元，每人限购两张，并将首次采用抽签方式分配。

申请将于周四下午 2 点在 Ticketlink 上开放，10 月 28 日截止；获奖者将于 10 月 30 日下午 5 点后公布。活动期间，昌庆宫的常规夜间参观活动将暂停。

发布于2026年10月21日下午2:38（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月21日下午3:53（韩国标准时间）

10月7日，游客在首尔昌庆宫欣赏晚间媒体艺术活动。（韩联社）

韩国文化遗产服务中心周三表示，下个月，游客将可以参加售票夜游，在首尔市中心的昌德宫和昌庆宫之间夜间步行，穿过通常不对公众开放的大门。

此次名为“东月东乐”的旅游活动将于11月10日至15日举行，由韩国文化遗产厅和皇家宫殿陵墓中心联合举办。这两座宫殿在朝鲜王朝（1392-1910年）时期合称为“东月”，意为“东部宫殿”，因为它们位于景福宫（朝鲜王朝的主要宫殿）的东侧。

这项时长110分钟的活动结合了对两座宫殿的导览和自由探索其后花园的时间。导游将扮演朝鲜时代宫廷绘画机构——道华书的画师，带领游客参观昌庆宫的主要殿堂和昌德宫的后花园。沿途的四个站点将上演与各景点相关的历史人物短剧。

在自由参观时段，游客可以穿过平日不对外开放的永春门（连接两座宫殿后花园的通道），并在两座花园间自由穿梭。他们可以在灵花堂欣赏韩国传统音乐表演，并与扮演宫廷日常生活的演员合影留念。现场将提供茶点，每位游客还将获赠一个纪念水杯。

该游览活动每晚四场，分别于下午6点、6点半、7点和7点半开始。门票每张4万韩元（约30美元）。每人限购两张。

为使订票更加公平，本次活动将首次采用抽签方式分配门票。申请将于周四下午2点在Ticketlink网站开放，截止日期为10月28日。中奖名单将于10月30日下午5点后公布。65岁及以上人士、残疾人士和国家奖学金获得者也可从11月5日起通过电话订票。

活动期间，昌庆宫的常规夜间观赏活动将暂停。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。