Gwanghwamun
Gwanghwamun | |
Korean name | |
---|---|
Hangul | 광화문 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Gwanghwamun |
McCune–Reischauer | Kwanghwamun |
Gwanghwamun (
History
Gwanghwamun was first constructed in 1395 as the main gate to Gyeongbok Palace, the main and most important royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty. During the 1592 Japanese invasion, it was destroyed by fire and left in ruins for over 250 years.[2][3]
Gwanghwamun was reconstructed in 1867 along with the rest of Gyeongbokgung Palace by the order of regent
The
Restoration
Gwanghwamun underwent a major restoration project since December 2006
The aim of the latest renovation was to restore Gwanghwamun to its original wooden construction while paying meticulous attention to historical accuracy. The name plate of Gwanghwamun was recreated by analyzing its century-old glass plate photographs, while its wooden structure was devised from a blueprint created in 1925 by the
Gwanghwamun was opened to the public on August 15, 2010, to commemorate
However, cracks in the wooden plate were showing by early November, where a long vertical crack is visible on the left side of Hanja character "光" and beneath "門" in the middle. The
Tourism
The area in front of Gwanghwamun, known as the
In a poll of nearly 2,000 foreign visitors conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in November 2011, visitors stated that watching the changing of the guards at the main gate as their third favorite activity in Seoul.[14] The royal changing of the guard ceremony is held in front of the main gate every hour from 10:00 to 15:00.[15]
On 23 September 2012, the
Transport
- Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Subway Line 3- nearest to the Gate
- Gwanghwamun Station on Seoul Subway Line 5 - located 600 metres at the southern end of Gwanghwamun Plaza
- City Hall Station on Seoul Subway Line 1 and Seoul Subway Line 2 - located 800 meters at the southern end of Gwanghwamun Plaza
See also
References
- ^ "Restored royal gate Gwanghwamun unveiled," Korea Times. August 15, 2010.
- ^ "Introduction," Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Gyeongbokgung, the Main Palace of the Joseon Dynasty.
- ^ "Gyeongbok Palace," Life in Korea.
- ^ "Short History of Gwanghwamun Gate". The Chosun Ilbo. 18 March 2004. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ^ "New Facelift Projects to Focus on Historic Seoul". The Chosun Ilbo. 24 January 2006. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "Restored Gwanghwamun to Be Unveiled on Liberation Day". The Chosun Ilbo. 20 February 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ^ Chung, Ah-young (15 August 2010). "Gwanghwamun reveals original beauty". The Korea Times. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ^ "New Gwanghwamun Signboard Cracks". The Chosun Ilbo. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ^ Lee, Claire (4 November 2010). "Gwanghwamun plate was rushed". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
- ^ "Cracked Gwanghwamun Signboard to Be Replaced". The Chosun Ilbo. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ^ "Seoul Landmark Restorations to Be Completed This Year". The Chosun Ilbo. 4 January 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ Kwon, Mee-yoo (1 August 2010). "Gwanghwamun Square marks 1st anniv". The Korea Times. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ^ Hoh, Kui-Seek (3 August 2009). "The road less travelled, by cars". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Mt. Nam Tops List of Foreign Tourists' Favorites". The Chosun Ilbo. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ "The 5 Palaces of Seoul". The Chosun Ilbo. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ "Pedestrian Zone Planned for Central Seoul". The Chosun Ilbo. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.