Changdeokgung Winter Trip 2025: Seoul's First Snow

Happy New Year. There were many difficult and unfortunate events at the end of last year. I hope you will find peace and be blessed with the bright energy of the new year.

That's why the first snow of the new year, which fell a few days ago, felt even whiter and more beautiful. It seemed as if the world's sadness and suffering were being covered in white.

On January 5th, snow continued to fall from early morning to afternoon, allowing us to enjoy the wonderful snowy landscape for a long time.

✅ Changdeokgung Reservation Site⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Changdeokgung Palace began in 1405 as the second palace in Hanyang. After the Imjin War, it effectively served as the nation's foremost palace in place of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Therefore, it has many palatial buildings.

It seemed that people, like me, had hopes they wished for in the white snow. They were enjoying the snowy landscape in a relatively calm atmosphere.

Changdeokgung Palace has buildings with blue tiles.

That clear and sparkling blue is useless when snow falls and accumulates. Everything turns pure white. It's like transforming from a celadon with a clear and elegant beauty into a clear and clean white porcelain.

In the Gwolnaegaksa of Changdeokgung Palace, there is a place where King Jeongjo kept his grandfather King Yeongjo's writings separately. When he established the Gyujanggak royal library, he kept the most precious books in a separate space called "Bongmodang." The writings, letters, and books left by the king were stored separately in this way.

Now only an empty building stands, but King Jeongjo's heart, which continued filial piety to his ancestors and did not forget the wisdom and teachings of his predecessors, seems to still be full inside.

With the rapid influx of Western goods, major changes occurred inside and outside the Changdeokgung Palace buildings. A semicircular path was smoothly laid out in front of the protruding entrance to accommodate cars.

The inside is even more splendid.

Emperor Sunjong, the last emperor of the Korean Empire, lived in Changdeokgung Palace until his death after the Eulsa Treaty, and he used the Huijeongdang Hall when receiving foreign envoys. The floor is covered with a red carpet, and there is a lot of Western furniture. Conversely, two long horizontal murals of Kumgangsan (Diamond Mountains) were also attached to showcase the nation's scenic beauty. Later, please visit the interior through the open window.

I sincerely pray for your peaceful daily life, physical and mental health, and the wisdom to overcome challenges.