[Photo] Palace pavilion and bridge restored to their 19th-century glory

Hyangwonjeong Pavilion and Chwihyanggyo Bridge have finally been restored after a three-year process and will be open to visitors in April 2022

Hyangwonjeong Pavilion can be seen through colorful fall leaves. (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)

Leisure locales favored by Joseon-era kings and queens such as the pond at Gyeongbok Palace, Hyangwonjeong Pavilion and Chwihyanggyo Bridge have finally been restored after a three-year process. The public will be able to peer into the historic sites in the form of a special exhibition starting in April 2022.

The interior of Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, a favorite resting spot of Joseon kings and queens, has been opened up after three years of restoration. (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)

The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Nov. 5 that the restoration of Hyangwonjeong Pavilion and Chwihyanggyo Bridge in Gyeongbok Palace had been completed. The original bridge connecting Geoncheong Residence and Hyangwonjeong Pavilion was located to the north of Hyangwonjeong Pavilion. It was, however, destroyed during the Korean War and rebuilt to the south of the pavilion for viewing convenience in 1953.

Hyangwonjeong Pavilion can be seen through colorful fall leaves. (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)

Besides restoring the bridge to its original location, its form was also restored to its original arched wooden bridge structure from the previous flat bridge with wooden boards on stone pillars. As in old photos, the bridge was restored to its white color.

Embers glow in the agungi fire pit at Hyangwonjeong Pavilion. (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)

Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, designated Treasure No. 1761 in 2012, is a hexagonal two-story structure on a man-made island in the middle of a square pond at the rear area of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul.

Embers glow in the agungi fire pit at Hyangwonjeong Pavilion. (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)

“Hyangwon” means “the scent travels far” and is derived from “On the Love of Lotus” by the Chinese scholar Zhou Dunyi.

Though no records have been found confirming when Hyangwonjeong and the wooden bridge Chwihyanggyo were built, mention of Hyangwonjeong debuted in 1887, the 24th year of King Gojong’s reign, in Seungjeongwon Ilgi (The Daily Records of the Joseon Dynasty’s Royal Secretariat). Thus, the date of construction can be estimated as being before 1887.

A panoramic view of Hyangwonji Pond on a fall day (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)

Yet a study on the age of the lumber used to make the structure held during restoration work confirmed two instances of lumber use in 1881 and 1884. This led scholars to cite 1885 as the time of the pavilion’s construction.

By Kim Hye-yun, staff reporter

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