By Choi Yearn-hong

Seoul has many splendid things; the contrasting beauty of tradition and modernity, the vitality of hardworking people, the scenic beauty of the Han River and the panoramic mountains, and four balanced seasons representing azaleas, roses, chrysanthemums, and snow-flowers.

My favorite place in Seoul is Changdokgung or its Secret Garden. The beauty of Changdokgung has not yet been discovered and receives little attention. The Changdokgung palace has its own unique beauty with influences of environmental artwork and architecture. In Seoul, the best-preserved window to Korea’s past is Changdokgung, which was constructed as a royal villa in l394 by King Taejong, the third king of the Choson Dynasty (l392-l9l0). This is the only palace retaining the original architectural design and infrastructure, although it was rebuilt after the Imjin Japanese invasion. The palace has retained its original beauty and been left unscathed through past invasions, war and time, leading me to believe that I have witnessed some form of divine intervention.

The grounds measure l07 acres overall, including the Secret Garden, which holds 28 of the original 4l structures. The l3 buildings on the main palace grounds most notably including Injongjon, the main audience hall, which has an elaborate throne; Taejojon, the king’s residence; Huijongdang, the queen’s residence; Naksonjae, which served as quarters for female members of the royal family; the fan-shaped Kwallamjong; the hexagonal Chondokjong; the Osumun; and the Yongyoungdang. The royal palace tour guide explains the function of each building in the palace.

More important than anything else to me is the fact that the ancient Korean architect did not attempt to resist, or compete with the magnificence of the surrounding palace’s environment. The natural environment has always been regarded as an element of supreme importance in Korean architecture. With an attitude of humble compliance, the architects of Changdokgung sought to harmonize the structures with their surroundings. They also selected sites that commanded an inspiring view of mountains and water. Inside the Changdokgung, little hills and creeks compose the natural beauty and order.

It is a land of wooded slopes and intertwining paths linking lotus ponds and pleasure pavilions. That is the simplest precious description of the Changdokgung and its Secret Garden, Piwon. How did I find the Secret Garden? I was first intrigued by the name of the Secret Garden when I first came to Seoul in my junior high school days. Before I reached the Tonhwamun, I thought it must be a very romantic place. Yes, my imagination was right. As a matter of fact, it was a very romantic place. I fell in love with the Secret Garden on my first visit at an early age. On a recent visit after 30 years of living abroad, I was so sure of the significance of the palace from the environmental art perspective. It is more than a romantic place. It is an historical environmental place.

The pursuit of a proper and constant care of nature is not only due to aesthetic reasons, but also the harmonious man-nature relationship. The ancient Korean notion of geomancy taught me that man could not properly develop-intellectually, emotionally, or even in business-without the gentle assistance of nature. Wind has its way. A river has its way. I appreciate the sound of the nature from wind and water.

Lying behind Changdokgung and composed of wooded and hilly terrain, the 40-acre garden is crisscrossed by footpaths meandering past ponds and over small bridges. The most picturesque of these sites is Pandoji, which is shaped like the outline of the Korean Peninsula.
.....I would like to dwell in Changdokgung like the king or prince, but it is impossible. Therefore, I like to visit the palace whenever I can and when I am tired of modern city life. Seoul is a crowded city. However, the Secret Garden is just there inside the city. When I enter the Tonhwamun of Changdokgung, I return to the Choson Dynasty as a prince. Can I say as a king?

I visited Chinese gardens in Hangchou and Suchou, and British and French gardens. Of course, they have their own beauty and colors. But they are artificial, overwhelming, and somewhat suppress nature. The Changdokgung has led me to nature and the beauty of the nature. Who said that the architecture could be an art and a civil-engineering work? At this palace, I can easily agree with that statement. It should be an environmental art, and delicate civil engineering work, particularly in the 2lst century.

UNESCO declared three World Heritage sites in Korea: Chongmyo, the royal ancestral shrines adjoining Changdokgung to the south; Sokkuram at Kyongju, a Silla Kingdom’s Buddhist cave temple with a magnificent granite Buddha; and Suwon Castle, a walled city and one hour southwest of Seoul. I hope and expect UNESCO declares one more World Heritage site in Korea; that is Changdokgung. Well, some consider Chongmyo as part of the Changdokgung. If that is the case, my proposal is not meaningful.

I hope Seoul’s people find and learn the man-nature relationship from their ancestor’s wisdom and arts at Changdokgung. Inside the palace, I become a part of nature, and environmental artist. We should appreciate the Secret Garden more in the 2lst century. Modern people are neglecting the environmental value.


The writer is a professor at the University of Seoul Graduate School of Urban Sciences and Chairman of its Environmental Policy Department.