Improvement and Opening of the Ramp Connecting Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo

"Barrier-Free Facility Installation Construction Underway"

The barrier-free facility connecting Changgyeonggung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine is being renovated and will be opened. The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 15th that it will set detailed standards and open the passage as soon as the slope improvement construction is completed.

The upper park already opened in July 2022. A tunnel was created by undergrounding Yulgok-ro, which crosses Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo, and about 8,000㎡ of green space was created by covering it with soil. However, the gates on both sides remain closed.

The Cultural Heritage Administration explained that the opening was delayed due to improvements to the steep slope between Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo after the opening of Yulgok-ro. An official stated, "In consultation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, we will begin construction this month to install barrier-free facilities that provide a safe environment for visitors." He added, "Once the maintenance is completed, we plan to open the passage by setting specific standards such as admission methods and times." The timing is expected to be between July and August.

Once the connecting passage is opened, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo can be closer to their original appearance. In the past, they were connected by a wall, but the Japanese colonial government separated them by creating Yulgok-ro. Some claim that, according to pungsu (Korean geomancy), the main ridge of Bukhansan Mountain flows through Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo, but the Japanese colonial government cut it off by building a road in the middle.

Changgyeonggung Palace, along with Changdeokgung Palace, was called Donggwol during the Joseon Dynasty. It was used as a royal villa but was greatly damaged during the Japanese colonial period when it was turned into a recreational area. The government decided to restore it in 1981 and began to recover its original form. Jongmyo Shrine is a shrine enshrining the spirit tablets of Joseon Dynasty kings and queens. It is managed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.