Seoul: Amisan and Hyangwonjeong, Gyeongbokgung Palace

After visiting the living quarters from the king and queen we went to a famous garden called Amisan.

The garden is created from an artificial mound and has four hexagonal chimneys, constructed around 1869 in orange brick and decorative roof tiles. The chimneys represent the different elements and amidst the flowers and plants are wonderful to look at!

From the garden, we walked past the Concubines’ quarters to reach Hyangwonjeong.

Hyangwonjeong is a small, two-story hexagonal pavilion built around 1873. The pavilion was constructed on an artificial island of a lake named Hyangwonji and a bridge named Chwihyanggyo connects it to the palace grounds.

The name Hyangwonjeong loosely translates as “Pavilion of Far-Reaching Fragrance,” while Chwihyanggyo translates as “Bridge Intoxicated with Fragrance.”

The bridge Chwihyanggyo was originally located on the north side of the island and was the longest bridge constructed purely of wood during the Joseon Dynasty; however, it was destroyed during the Korean War. The bridge was reconstructed in its present form on the south side of the island in 1953.