[One Day Walk] Circling Gyeongbokgung Palace and Meeting Cheongwadae... Gyeongbokgung Stone Wall Path

Today's walking course heads toward Gyeongbokgung Palace and Cheongwadae. You can take a stroll around the stone wall path of Gyeongbokgung, which was used as the main royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty, and visit Cheongwadae, which has been fully opened to the public.

The course starts at Exit 5 of Gyeongbokgung Station and begins at Gwanghwamun. The first destination is Dongsipjagak, located at the southeast of Gyeongbokgung. This is one of the watchtowers of Gyeongbokgung, built at the corner where the palace wall bends. Dongsipjagak is the only watchtower in Joseon palaces constructed as an independent structure, and it now stands in the middle of the road, separate from Gyeongbokgung. Through Dongsipjagak, you can infer the original shape of the Gyeongbokgung wall.

Next, head to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul. This museum, representing Korea's modern and contemporary art, was built on the site where the Seoul Military District Hospital and the Military Security Command were located. During the Joseon Dynasty, this site also housed important institutions, including Sogyeokseo, where rituals were performed for Taoist deities, and Saganwon, a government press agency.

Right next to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, is Jongchinbu. Jongchinbu was the office responsible for royal family males except the king and crown prince during the Joseon Dynasty. It also managed the royal genealogy and portraits called Eojin, as well as the clothing of the king and queen. Jongchinbu was located opposite Geonchunmun, the east gate of Gyeongbokgung, but in 1981, its main buildings, Gyeonggeundang and Okcheopdang, were moved to the Jeongdok Library and returned to their current location in 2013.

Next, proceed to Cheongwadae. This place, used as the office of the President of the Republic of Korea, was the rear garden of Gyeongbokgung during the Joseon Dynasty. When Japan built the Governor-General's official residence here, the area began to be called Gyeongmudae. Later, in 1960, President Yun Bo-seon changed the name to Cheongwadae, meaning "Blue Tile House," because the name Gyeongmudae had negative connotations. Since then, it has been used as the president's office and residence, and from May last year, after the presidential office functions moved to the Yongsan Presidential Office, it has been fully opened to the public. To visit Cheongwadae, advance online reservation is required, and on-site reservations are only accepted for seniors aged 65 and over, people with disabilities, national veterans, and foreigners.

After passing through Cheongwadae and following the Gyeongbokgung stone wall path to Yeongchumun, the west gate of Gyeongbokgung, today's course concludes.