Guard at Gyeongbokgung

by Joan Carroll

Title

Guard at Gyeongbokgung

Artist

Joan Carroll

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

Older than the ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the changing of the guard at Gyongbokgung, one of the major palaces in Seoul, South Korea, is evocative of centuries past. Since 1469, the ceremony has taken place and its record has been consulted for the present reenactment ceremony. During the Joseon Dynasty, the royal guards were responsible for guarding and patrolling the gates of the capital city and the royal palaces. The royal palace guards, who were known as the "Wanggung Sumunjang", had the very important duty of protecting the king by guarding the entrance gates of the primary royal palace where the king resided. They were in charge of opening and closing the palace gates, inspecting all visitors, and maintaining a close surveillance of the palace. They were divided into day and night shifts, and the Changing of the Guard ceremony took place whenever the shifts changed over. In the early period of the Joseon Dynasty, the Changing of the Guard ceremony was conducted at Gyeongbokgung (Palace) as at that time Gyeongbokgung was the primary royal palace and the king then resided there. However, in the late period of the Joseon Dynasty when Gyeongbokgung was burned down during the Imjin Waeran (Japanese Invasions of 1592 - 1598), Deoksugung was made the primary royal palace and the Changing of the Guard ceremony was then conducted at Deoksugung.

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December 10th, 2014

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