[One Thousand Characters a Day] Kim Seoul's 'A Very Private Palace Walk' <2>

Editor's NoteIs it because the immense history of the "500 Years of the Joseon Dynasty" feels so heavy? The palaces, located right in the heart of Seoul, can be easily visited anytime if you set your mind to it, but often, after boldly entering, visitors end up just admiring the flowers and then quietly leaving, overwhelmed by the Chinese-character-filled explanations on the information boards. Do you have to know all about Joseon's history to enjoy the palaces? Can't you just stroll through the backyards, like visiting a model house or an interior shop? Kim Seoul, the author, wanted to tell more people that even the palaces, which might seem vaguely boring, hide charming and beautiful expressions everywhere. Follow his guidance to wander through the palaces. Reading his delicate and cheerful writing, you will suddenly realize how attractive these palaces really are, while also dispelling long-held misunderstandings and prejudices about the Joseon era and its royal palaces. Word count: 1058.

Among the palaces in Seoul that we encounter in the 2020s, there is almost no place where water flows. Our ancestors from the Joseon Dynasty made every effort to bring watercourses to the entrances of all palaces, miniaturizing the ideal terrain of a mountain at the back and water in front (baesanimsu), and carefully built bridges topped with all sorts of charming stone animals. However, most of the bridges at palace entrances today are completely dry underneath.

Unless it rains, the stone floors greet visitors with a dryness that is more than just dry?it’s parched. Since the palace itself is a cultural heritage site, maintaining dryness is advantageous for preservation, but this environment also causes people to forget the original purpose of the stone bridges and the surrounding scenery.

However, water flows in Changgyeonggung Palace. Although you can see flowing water in Okryucheon Stream inside the rear garden of Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung is the only palace where water flows near the main gate and beside the pavilions. While ponds are often seen in other palaces, stagnant water does not add the same vitality to the surrounding scenery as flowing water does. The moment a pond becomes a beautiful scene is when the previously still water surface ripples with the wind, showing sparkling reflections.

Upon entering Honghwamun, the main gate of Changgyeonggung, you immediately see Okcheon Bridge. The water flowing beneath connects to Chundangji Pond behind the palace, and if you follow the waterway along the rear garden behind Chundangji, it reaches Bukaksan Mountain. Water flowing down the mountain valley forms small ponds and adds moisture to the ancient palace scenery with the sound of water beside trees and wildflowers. In a big city like Seoul, it is rare to hear the sound of flowing water, but in the palace, where natural noise-canceling occurs, you can quietly hear the gentle sound of water in the stillness.

Additionally, if you follow the waterway babbling along, you will meet small animal friends enjoying leisure by the water. Among the shrubs beside the waterway, you can see the unusually small Changgyeonggung cats basking in the sunlight and rolling around, and small birds bathing in the water, cautiously watching the cats.

Moreover, the flowing water reminds us of the original use of the stone bridges. In other palaces, stone bridges seemed just like parts of paths or floors, but here, with water present, they are actually used as bridges. When we think of cultural heritage or historic sites, we usually imagine static images, but the presence of flowing water alone makes the space much more lively and vibrant.

- Kim Seoul, A Very Private Palace Walk, Nol, 15,000 KRW