Heunghwamun Gate of Gyeonghuigung Palace경희궁 흥화문

About

Heunghwamun is the main gate of Gyeonghuigung Palace. Originally, there were five gates into the palace: besides Heunghwamun, the main gate, there were Heungwonmun to the east, Sunguimun to the west, Gaeyangmun to the south, and Mudeokmun to the north. When the palace was first built, it followed the layout of Changgyeonggung Palace on a smaller scale, so the main gate was built with a single story. The low hill near the palace was called "Yajugae," a name said to come from the belief that the calligraphy on Heunghwamun's signboard was so masterful that it glowed even at night, lighting up the hill. Heunghwamun was originally built east of Geumcheongyo Bridge, on the site of today's Salvation Army Building, facing east toward Jongno. However, during the Japanese colonial period, when the road was widened in 1915, the gate was moved back slightly from its original spot, and its orientation was changed to face south, parallel to the road. In 1932, the gate was taken away to serve as the main gate of Hakubunji, a temple built for Ito Hirobumi. After liberation, the temple was abolished, and the gate was used as the main gate of the guesthouse and the Shilla Hotel that were later built on the site. In 1988, as part of the Gyeonghuigung Palace restoration project, the Seoul Metropolitan Government moved Heunghwamun back to the palace grounds. It was relocated and restored at its current position, where Gaeyangmun once stood, in an effort to revive its history as the palace's main gate.