There are two types of palace building in Deoksugung. Western and Traditional style.
In this posting, I’d like to post about the Western building this time, traditional building will be posted next time.
There are two western buildings in Deoksugung.
First one is Jeong Gwan Heon.
The name of buildings were various according to the usage and the function of the building.
In previous postings, I had explained the meaning of the name, for example, Jeon means the place where king and queen had stayed in including official and nonofficial.
In Buddhist temple, the name of Jeon could be used exceptionally. If some one named his house Jeon, he would’ve been executed for the treason.
Here, the name of This building, Heon means normally ‘living space’. Jeong Gwan means ‘silently watching. So Jeong Gwan Heon means ‘the house for watching silently’
This building was made under the order of King 👑 Go Jong. Go Jong was actually the last king of Choson dynasty. After King Go Jong, his son Sun Jong received a throne. All sovereignty had been lost under the rule of King Go Jong.
King Go Jong moved from Gyeongbokgung to Deoksugung after the assassination of his Queen.
He wanted the protection from Russia.
Before moving to Deoksugung, King Go Jong had escaped to the embassy of Russia. King and Prince had stayed in Russian embassy for one year.
As soon as moving to Deoksugung, King Go Jong ordered to build a caffe for diplomatic purpose.
King Go Jong would’ve thought, the only way to maintain the independence was a diplomacy.
The building was designed by Russian Architecture.
But the diplomacy without the power means nothing.
In Jeong Gwan Heon, King Go Jong had took the coffee with the diplomates.
Even though King Go Jong tried to do something to sustain the sovereignty, his efforts were useless.
Beside the Jeong Gwan Heon. There is a stone building in the name of Seok Jo Jeon.
King Go Jong had tried to show the authority of his kingdom to the international society.
King and his cabinet had decided to build the stone palace similar to the western power.
His government had poured lots of money for the construction of Seok Jo Jeon.
The meaning of Seok Jo Jeon is nothing special at all.
Seok means stone, Jo means ‘made’, Jeon means palace.
Do you remember how the name of the palace had been made?
In Confucian society, they name the palace with special value of Confucian Philosophy.
But this Seok Jo Jeon had no meaning and had no vision.
How the country without the vision and value could maintain it’s existence.
Seok Jo Jeon had been built under the architectural style of Neoclassicism.
I could not enter into Seok Jo Jeon. The reservation was necessary to enter into Seok Jo Jeon.
The appearance of Seok Jo Jeon was so beautiful with the reflection of sunshine of sunset.
Thank you for