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A hanbok palace day,
chosen by the palace's bearing
Seoul's five Joseon palaces each sit on a different bearing. Measured from Gyeongbokgung's throne hall, Changgyeonggung is 94.5° east, Changdeokgung 91.0°, Jongmyo 110.7°, and Deoksugung 186.2° south. Layer today's favourable direction over the solar term and the choice makes itself.
What does it mean that each palace has its own direction?
First, the words. Gung (궁) means palace, which is why every name ends in -gung, and hanbok (한복) is Korean traditional dress. Seoul kept five palaces from the Joseon dynasty: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Gyeonghuigung.
They are close enough to walk between, but they do not lie in the same direction. From Gyeongbokgung's throne hall, Changgyeonggung sits at 94.5° east, Changdeokgung at 91.0°, Jongmyo at 110.7°, and Deoksugung at 186.2° south. A few degrees on paper, but it is the gap where wood and fire part company in the five elements.
This piece leads with Changgyeonggung, the quietest of the eastern three and an easy first stop if you have never worn hanbok before. Changdeokgung and Jongmyo, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, sit in the same eastern group and chain onto it on foot.
Which way does each palace lie?
Gyeongbokgung is the reference point. It sits at the centre-north of the old city, and everything else is described as an angle seen from there.
| Place | Direction from Gyeongbokgung | Bearing | Element | Solar term that suits it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung | Reference point (centre / north) | — | 토 Earth | Any season |
| Changgyeonggung | East | 94.5° | 목 Wood | Around Gogu |
| Changdeokgung | East | 91.0° | 목 Wood | Around Cheongmyeong |
| Jongmyo | East | 110.7° | 목 Wood | Around Sanggang |
| Deoksugung | South | 186.2° | 화 Fire | After Daeseol |
| Gyeonghuigung | — | — | — | — |
The fifth palace, Gyeonghuigung, is not yet in the measured bearing table we work from, so its cells are blank. It belongs in any count of the five Joseon palaces, but we are not going to invent an angle we have not checked.
How does today's favourable direction pick the palace?
- The eastern group (wood) — Changgyeonggung 94.5°, Changdeokgung 91.0°, Jongmyo 110.7°. All three chain together on foot, and wood reads as beginnings, which suits the first outing of a season.
- South (fire) — Deoksugung 186.2°. It sits in the middle of downtown, so the day keeps going after dark. Fire reads as spreading out and brightening.
- Centre (earth) — Gyeongbokgung. On a day when no direction stands out, go to the reference point. It is large enough to fill a day on its own.
If you do not yet know which direction suits your own chart, start with travel direction, which lays out how the eight directions map onto the five elements.
Which solar term should I aim for?
Palaces take the season straight on, so the solar terms are a better handle than the calendar month. Here are the 2027 dates.
| Solar term | 2027 date | What you see inside the walls | Where it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheongmyeong (清明) | 5 April | The green turning on inside the walls | Changdeokgung |
| Gogu (穀雨) | 20 April | Spring rain, wet stone underfoot | Changgyeonggung |
| Sanggang (霜降) | 23 October | Autumn colour coming down | Jongmyo and Changdeokgung |
| Daeseol (大雪) | 7 December | Snow, when the roof lines read sharpest | Deoksugung |
A solar term is not only its own date. It names the fortnight around it, so Cheongmyeong on 5 April means the whole of early to mid April carries that texture. Two easy windows fall out of this: April for the eastern palaces, late October for the colour.
One coincidence is worth noting. In 2027, Cheongmyeong on 5 April and Daeseol on 7 December both land on a son-eomneun-nal (손 없는 날), the Korean day held free of wandering spirits. A solar term and a son-eomneun-nal sharing a date is not common, so if your dates are still open, put those two on the shortlist first. The rest are listed month by month in good days to visit Korea in 2027.
What difference does wearing hanbok make?
A scheme giving hanbok wearers a benefit on palace admission has been running for a long time. Which palaces are covered, for what period, and what counts as qualifying dress all change from season to season, so this article carries no numbers for it.
- Check each palace's own notice before you goNot on the day you plan the trip, but a few days before you actually walk over.
- Match the rental shop to the palace's directionRent near Changdeokgung for the eastern group, near Deoksugung for the southern one, and the walking stays short.
- Decide the photo hour firstLow light in the morning sijin of Myo and the evening sijin of Yu is when the hall shadows stretch longest.
The exact boundaries of the twelve sijin are tabled in departure time. Hanbok is clothing that slows your walk, so budget one whole sijin per palace and the day stops feeling rushed.
How many palaces fit into one day?
Two, within the same direction, is the comfortable answer. Split the direction and the travel time grows; grow the travel time and the outfit tires before you do.
- An eastern day — Changgyeonggung to Changdeokgung to Jongmyo. From 94.5° to 110.7°, all inside east, so the walking stays short.
- A southern day — Deoksugung at 186.2° plus a downtown walk, which carries you into the evening.
- A day at the reference point — Gyeongbokgung alone. Bukchon Hanok Village lies northeast of it at 58.2°, close enough to walk.
To step outside the palace walls and read the whole city by element, Seoul neighbourhoods by your element is the follow-on piece. 5htrip settles the day's direction first using a verified Manseryeok engine, so the order you visit the palaces in can follow from that.
One note. Opening hours, closing days and the conditions of any admission benefit can change, so none of them appear here as numbers. Check each palace's own notice before you visit.
Tune your next trip to your own five elements
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iOS app coming soonFrequently asked
What does it mean that each palace has its own direction?
Measured from Gyeongbokgung, Changgyeonggung sits at 94.5° east and Deoksugung at 186.2° south. East is wood and south is fire, so the palaces read differently.
Which solar term is best for visiting the palaces?
Spring means Cheongmyeong (5 April) and Gogu (20 April), autumn colour means Sanggang (23 October), and winter means after Daeseol (7 December). Those are the 2027 dates.
What benefit do you get at the palaces for wearing hanbok?
There has long been a scheme that gives hanbok wearers a benefit on palace admission. The conditions and periods change though, so check each palace's notice a few days before you go.
How many palaces can I see in one day?
Two in the same direction is comfortable. Changdeokgung (91.0°) to Jongmyo (110.7°) walks easily, but adding Deoksugung (186.2°) splits the bearing and stretches the travel.