Changdeokgung

Timeline

1. 1405East of Omokcheon in Hanseong · HanseongIn the fifth year of Taejong's reign, a site was chosen east of Gyeongbokgung at the foot of the hills to build a new palace, avoiding the political memories attached to the founding-era main palace and adding a palace district in the eastern capital where court could be held. The works consumed civilian labor; the royal records note the site selection and supervision, marking the beginning of Hanseong's two-palace layout.
2. 1405–1418Changdeokgung · HanseongAfter the completion of audience spaces such as Injeongjeon and the sleeping quarters, Taejong and early Sejong frequently handled state affairs here. Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung formed a complementary main palace–detached palace pairing: the former was closer to mountain gardens, the latter retained the ritual axis, and court life in Hanseong moved between the two palaces.
3. 1419–1592Changdeokgung and its rear garden · HanseongAround 1427 Sejong made Gyeongbokgung the main palace but still traveled frequently to Changdeokgung. The East Palace continued to repair halls and the rear garden, forming a layout where palace and natural terrain interlock; in the 1592 Japanese invasion the palace was burned, and most buildings from Taejong's reign no longer survive.
4. 1609Changdeokgung · HanseongAfter reconstruction in the early 17th century, Changdeokgung long replaced Gyeongbokgung as Joseon's main palace; Injeongjeon, Donhwamun and the rear garden formed the ritual and strolling core of the East Palace. In 1997 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site under the 'Changdeokgung Palace Complex', and the palace district turned from a dynastic seat of government into a historical space open to the public.