8 replies to this topic

[MJL]

Some recent photographs I took at Unhyeongung in Central seoul.



Most tourists who choose to visit Seoul will probably head to Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, or Deoksugung. Overlooking the small, rather modest palace of Unhyeongung, a natural coloured residence just over the road from Changdeokgung. But why am I foolishly telling you about it, one of its charms is his quiet, even most weekends.
http://english.visit....jsp?cid=264223

[sg_han]

It isn't exactly a "true" palace but rather the residence of 흥선대원군. It has many features not typical of the 5 grand palaces. Many foreigers do not know about it and even some Koreans too.

Edited by sg_han, 06 December 2009 - 08:51 AM.

[MJL]

It isn't exactly a "true" palace but rather the residence of 흥선대원군. It has many features not typical of the 5 grand palaces. Many foreigers do not know about it and even some Koreans too.

It isn't a 'true' palace if by that you mean it doesn't follow the pattern of the Five Joseon Palaces of Seoul. However, it can be called a palace from the Korean term 궁(전) ('palace'), if it was only a palace in the sense of a residence and private administration block, rather than the palace of a reigning monarch.

Edited by MJL, 06 December 2009 - 01:06 PM.

[WangGeon]

It's more a "royal villa" than a "palace."

I wasn't really aware of Unyeongung until I found it by accident walking around central Seoul while looking for Jogyesa (and went to the wrong direction). There's an old school near that area that still retains some of the early twentieth-century architecture too. The "palace" itself is quite modest, but it's also a nice little oasis amidst all the business that is Seoul.

Edited by WangGeon, 06 December 2009 - 01:22 PM.

[sg_han]

It's more a "royal villa" than a "palace."

I wasn't really aware of Unyeongung until I found it by accident walking around central Seoul while looking for Jogyesa (and went to the wrong direction). There's an old school near that area that still retains some of the early twentieth-century architecture too. The "palace" itself is quite modest, but it's also a nice little oasis amidst all the business that is Seoul.

Yes the words are "Royal Villa" NOT a palace.

궁 actually(strictly) cannot be used on 운현궁. Even in terms of size, it was about the same as yangban houses.

[MJL]

I stand corrected.
Could you clarify for me now the difference?

[qrasy]

I guess it depends on which age it's borrowed?
The character 宮 was originally rooms (口, more than 1) under a roof (宀). Originally it meant something like "residence".
[I guess any house with more than 1 room was a "宮" already at the time the character was made]
Uses other than in "palace" gradually died out, thus the modern meaning.
(well, one exception I can think of..., is 子宮(자궁). It would be weird for a meaning of "palace" is to be used.)

Not sure what it meant during the "middle ages".
http://en.wiktionary...ry.org/wiki/宮
Japanese associate the character with "miya" ("honorific" + "house") and "ie"
"miya" = "the place where a god resides", "the place where a ruler resides", "a member of the imperial family".
"ie" = "house" (ordinary ones, if I'm not wrong)

Edited by qrasy, 08 December 2009 - 10:50 AM.

[sg_han]

Meanings of words change and many words have very different meaning from its creation and this happens in all human languages.

unhyeongung is a gung simply because gojong's father was there.

[SNK_1408]

Meanings of words change and many words have very different meaning from its creation and this happens in all human languages.

unhyeongung is a gung simply because gojong's father was there.

Thats correct.
Many Roral villas are aka 궁 in Korea.
Many ex-serving queens and consorts are relocated to some ravish royal villas and mainly called something...궁 just for name sake.
It really doesn't mean Palace as per title says.