Changdeokgung (Prospering Virtue Palace) is one of the five grand palaces of Seoul build during the Josean Dynasty. It is one of the smaller palaces, and only about a third of the structures still exist following the destruction of many of Korea's places of historical significance during the Japanese occupation.
What Changdeokgung is really famous for is the back yard, know as the 'biwon' (secret garden) as it was reserved for the use of the royal family and palace women only. The garden is 78 acres, huge when you consider that it is bang in the centre of a city the size of Seoul.
The garden contains pavilions, lotus ponds and an enormous variety of trees, some hundreds of years old.
I visited the biwon in late autumn on a spectacularly cold and clear morning. The trees were stunning and the silence from the constant humm of Seoul traffic suprisingly complete.
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