This photo provided by the Cultural Heritage Admnistration shows a nighttime view of Changdeok Palace, a royal palace from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in central Seoul.
SEOUL, April 12 (Korea Bizwire) — The annual nighttime tours of Changdeok Palace, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Seoul, will begin next week, the cultural heritage authorities said Tuesday.
The 100-minute nocturnal tour of the ancient palace will run from April 21 through June 12, four times a day from every Thursday to Sunday, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.
The moonlight tour program has been popular among foreign tourists and locals alike for the past 13 years as participants can enjoy tranquil vibes while strolling through the palace at night holding a traditional Korean lantern covered in red and blue silk shades.
Changdeok is the only one of the five palaces of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list for being the most well-preserved among them.
It is regarded as a masterpiece of Korean palace architecture where the buildings are in perfect harmony with the natural setting.
This year, the tour added the Huijeongdang Hall area to its course for the first time.
Originally the king’s bed chamber, it was later used as his workplace.
The original building was destroyed by a fire in 1917. The structure reconstructed three years later has wooden floorboards, carpets, glass windows and chandeliers due to Western influences.
There will also be performances on traditional Korean arts across different spots in the palace and a small reenactment of the king and queen taking a stroll around the secret garden popular for its artistic scenery.
Tickets, priced at 30,000 won (US$24), will become available for purchase at the e-commerce website Interpark at 2 p.m. Thursday.
(Yonhap)
