Hello, history and culture enthusiasts! ✨ Today, we’re digging into the surprising and deep secrets of Gyeongbokgung Palace, a place we thought we knew all too well 🤯 More than just a place for kings to stay, this video reveals the wisdom of the Joseon royal family, who sought to bring heavenly wisdom to earth.
Today, we’re going to explore this video: [Vestiges of the Lost Joseon Dynasty, Secrets Carved into the Floor of Gyeongbokgung Palace] ()
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🏛️ Gyeongbokgung Palace is much more than just a palace.
Gyeongbokgung Palace is the royal court of Joseon and one of the grandest and most beautiful palaces in Korea. The majesty of Geunjeongjeon Hall and the antiquity of Gyeonghoe-ro can be overwhelming, but this video focuses on a hidden aspect of Gyeongbokgung that you might not have realized: the “traces” carved into the floor of the forecourt of Geunjeongjeon Hall. Have you ever walked past the wide stone floor? 🚶♀️ It’s not just stone, but the deep philosophy and science of the Joseon royal family!
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🌟 Astronomy, ‘Ilyeongdae’ and ‘North Star’ carved on the floor
The most interesting part of the video was the two significant marks left in the front yard of Gyeongbokgung Palace’s Geunjeongjeon Hall. They are the ‘Ilyeongdae’ and the ‘North Pole Star’.
☀️ Ilyeongdae (日影臺): Carving time
In the front yard of Geunjeongjeon, there are traces of ‘Ilyeongdae’, a pedestal for a sundial. Because Joseon was an agrarian society, it was very important to know the exact time of day and the change of seasons through the movement of the sun. ⏳ It was directly related to the people’s farming, which was the foundation of the country. The Ilyeongdae was a very practical and symbolic device, signifying that the king received the will of heaven and carried out policies for the people.
🌌 北極五星(北極五星): Symbolizing kingship
Even more surprising is the fact that the “North Pole Star,” centered on the North Star, is carved between the pumgye seats of Geunjeongjeon and the throne where the king sits. 👑 Joseon used Confucianism as its ruling ideology, and the king was seen as ruling over his people with a mandate from heaven. The North Star is the center of the sky and leads all the stars without wavering. In other words, the king should be the center of all the people, like the North Star, and lead the country without wavering, a powerful Confucian political ideology that was captured in this floor painting. The level of astronomy in Joseon is remarkable, even down to the constellations.
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🧘♀️ Not just a painting, but the essence of a harmonious philosophy
The marks on this floor were not just decorations for the sake of looking good 🤯 Joseon established its ruling ideology by linking all of this to the order of the universe, the harmony of “heaven and earth”.
- Heaven: The order of the heavens and the sanctity of kingship, symbolized by the North Star.
- Earth:** The bounty of the land and the lives of the people, symbolized by the Sun Yat-sen.
- People:** The king and people who rule the earth with the will of heaven above them.
All of this was perfectly harmonized within the space of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The connection between astronomical knowledge and royal rituals can be found in the Gukjo Five Rites, a representative ritual book of the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongbokgung Palace was more than just a place for the king to reside, it was a massive architectural and philosophical crystallization of the universe, communicating with the heavens. ⚖️
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💔 Japanese colonialism and its vestiges
But did you know that these precious traces have been hidden from us for a long time? 💔 Gyeongbokgung Palace suffered many hardships during the Japanese occupation. The Japanese destroyed the palace, demolished many buildings, and covered up the remaining traces in an attempt to erase the spirit and history of Joseon. The traces of the Ilyeongdae and the Arctic Five Castles were also covered with asphalt or dirt and forgotten for decades. It was a painful moment when Joseon’s wisdom and history were forcibly hidden. 😭
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✨ Recovered Joseon wisdom through restoration
Fortunately, with the restoration of Gyeongbokgung Palace, after years of hard work, these hidden traces have been brought back into the light. ✨ The excavation and restoration of the traces of the Ilyeongdae and the North Pole Star, which were unearthed and restored through historical archives, is not just a matter of recovering the past, but also an important opportunity to rediscover the depth of Joseon’s scientific technology and philosophy. It is an important work that brings the wisdom of the past to the present.
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💖 A special way to revisit Gyeongbokgung Palace
Isn’t it amazing how a small mark on the floor of Gyeongbokgung Palace can have so much meaning and story behind it? 😍 The stone floor that we pass by so casually is a living testament to the history of Joseon.
Next time you’re at Gyeongbokgung Palace, be sure to take a closer look at the floor in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall. You’ll be moved and enlightened like never before. We hope you’ll get a sense of the deep wisdom and desire of Joseon kings to rule their people and follow the laws of the heavens! 🙏
We also recommend watching the video to experience all these secrets more vividly! 😉 We hope you too will discover the hidden charms of Gyeongbokgung Palace!
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