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| Gyeongbok Palace fronted by Gwanghwa-mun Gate, on the southern foot of Bugak-san. Excellent photo by my friend Robert Koehler. |
History of the siting of Gyeongbok-gun Palace, in connection with the mountains behind it:
"When Muhak received the commission to find the site for Yi T’aejo’s palace, he went up on
Paegun-dae and looked out over the land. There he found a tablet (which presumably dated
from the time of Shilla) southwest of Man’gyŏng which read Muhak Oshim Toch’a (무학오심도차,
無學誤尋到此, lit. “Without Learning False Arrive Find This”), which probably meant something
like “Without learning one fails to arrive anywhere.” But Muhak read it as a pun on his own name
indicating that “Muhak failed to find what he was looking for here.” So he set out again, this time
following a southerly spur which led him down below Pugak-san, where he found a fit place for
the palace. In 1395, Yi T’aejo gave orders to Chŏng To-jŏn to build the palace on this site. The
name of the palace came from the last two characters of an eight-character poem which Chŏng
To-jŏn took from the 17th book of the Chinese Book of Poetry (Shih-ching 詩經, Korean: 시경
Si-kyŏng), Kun Cha Man-nyŏn ŭi Kae I Kyŏng Bok (군자만년 개이경복, 君子萬年 介爾景福),
meaning “May the King for ten thousand years enjoy shining happiness in abundance.”
Accordingly, the name “Kyŏngbok” means “Shining Happiness”.
--- An except from "Seoul: Past and Present. A Guide to Yi T'aejo's Capital," by Allen D. Clark
and Donald N. Clark; produced by the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch, and published by
Hollym Books in 1969. Thanks to Gregory Eaves for posting the good quote!
I will note that the "Paegun-dae" is now Baekun-dae [White-Clouds Platform] Peak, at 800m the
highest summit in the capital region, supreme the four main peaks of Samgak-san in Gangbuk-gu
District (often mistakenly called "Bukhan-san"). Indeed it offers a great view, but not of downtown
Seoul / old Hanyang, as that's blocked by the 2nd highest of the 4, Man-gyeong-dae (Man’gyŏng
in this text) [All-Encompassing-View Platform] Peak -- which itself offers a good view of the
Hanyang site. Actually, "southwest of Man’gyŏng" where he found the tablet, is Nojeok-bong,
the shortest of the four-peaks cluster of Samgak-san, and features Nojeok-sa Temple -- perhaps
that's where the tablet was.....? The protagonist here is Buddhist Seon [Zen] Master and Pungsu
Jiri-seol expert Muhak Wangsa, greatest long-term disciple of 9th-century Master Doseon Guksa.
"When Muhak received the commission to find the site for Yi T’aejo’s palace, he went up on
Paegun-dae and looked out over the land. There he found a tablet (which presumably dated
from the time of Shilla) southwest of Man’gyŏng which read Muhak Oshim Toch’a (무학오심도차,
無學誤尋到此, lit. “Without Learning False Arrive Find This”), which probably meant something
like “Without learning one fails to arrive anywhere.” But Muhak read it as a pun on his own name
indicating that “Muhak failed to find what he was looking for here.” So he set out again, this time
following a southerly spur which led him down below Pugak-san, where he found a fit place for
the palace. In 1395, Yi T’aejo gave orders to Chŏng To-jŏn to build the palace on this site. The
name of the palace came from the last two characters of an eight-character poem which Chŏng
To-jŏn took from the 17th book of the Chinese Book of Poetry (Shih-ching 詩經, Korean: 시경
Si-kyŏng), Kun Cha Man-nyŏn ŭi Kae I Kyŏng Bok (군자만년 개이경복, 君子萬年 介爾景福),
meaning “May the King for ten thousand years enjoy shining happiness in abundance.”
Accordingly, the name “Kyŏngbok” means “Shining Happiness”.
--- An except from "Seoul: Past and Present. A Guide to Yi T'aejo's Capital," by Allen D. Clark
and Donald N. Clark; produced by the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch, and published by
Hollym Books in 1969. Thanks to Gregory Eaves for posting the good quote!
I will note that the "Paegun-dae" is now Baekun-dae [White-Clouds Platform] Peak, at 800m the
highest summit in the capital region, supreme the four main peaks of Samgak-san in Gangbuk-gu
District (often mistakenly called "Bukhan-san"). Indeed it offers a great view, but not of downtown
Seoul / old Hanyang, as that's blocked by the 2nd highest of the 4, Man-gyeong-dae (Man’gyŏng
in this text) [All-Encompassing-View Platform] Peak -- which itself offers a good view of the
Hanyang site. Actually, "southwest of Man’gyŏng" where he found the tablet, is Nojeok-bong,
the shortest of the four-peaks cluster of Samgak-san, and features Nojeok-sa Temple -- perhaps
that's where the tablet was.....? The protagonist here is Buddhist Seon [Zen] Master and Pungsu
Jiri-seol expert Muhak Wangsa, greatest long-term disciple of 9th-century Master Doseon Guksa.
| Gwanghwa-mun Gate in front of Bugak-san, with Samgak-san seen in the right background, in 1904. |
Gwanghwa-mun Gate and Gyeongbok Palace in front of Bugak-san and its eastern ridge,
peaks of Samgak-san seen behind, at sunset. Excellent photo by my friend Robert Koehler.
peaks of Samgak-san seen behind, at sunset. Excellent photo by my friend Robert Koehler.
Oriental Arch Gyeongbok:
spot to build a fitting capital city. One such site was discovered near modern-day Daejeon at the foot of Mt.
Gye-ryeong. With Taejo's blessing, work began quickly on the site and soon foundation stones were readied in the
ground. However, work abruptly ceased when Taejo became convinced that Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) would
make a better site. Taejo was persuaded by the prophecies of Doseon, a 10th-century priest and master geomancer
who aided the founder of the previous dynasty in the selection of a capital. Doseon had correctly prophesied the
founding of Goryeo, and had made a prediction that the next dynasty would base itself at Hanyang and rule for 500 years.
Taejo decided to heed the ancient priest and moved the capital to Hanyang, fulfilling the prophecy. What he could not
have known was that his dynasty did indeed last about 500 years as Doseon predicted, surviving until 1910 when
Korea was annexed by the Japanese Empire.
Taejo's geomancers found at Hanyang the potential for an ideal capital. Using pungsu, they selected four sites for
royal residences where the topography of the land heralded good fortune for the dynasty. The most auspicious of all
sites was the northernmost one, and it was there that they decided to build the main royal palace and major
government buildings of the young Joseon dynasty.
spot to build a fitting capital city. One such site was discovered near modern-day Daejeon at the foot of Mt.
Gye-ryeong. With Taejo's blessing, work began quickly on the site and soon foundation stones were readied in the
ground. However, work abruptly ceased when Taejo became convinced that Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) would
make a better site. Taejo was persuaded by the prophecies of Doseon, a 10th-century priest and master geomancer
who aided the founder of the previous dynasty in the selection of a capital. Doseon had correctly prophesied the
founding of Goryeo, and had made a prediction that the next dynasty would base itself at Hanyang and rule for 500 years.
Taejo decided to heed the ancient priest and moved the capital to Hanyang, fulfilling the prophecy. What he could not
have known was that his dynasty did indeed last about 500 years as Doseon predicted, surviving until 1910 when
Korea was annexed by the Japanese Empire.
Taejo's geomancers found at Hanyang the potential for an ideal capital. Using pungsu, they selected four sites for
royal residences where the topography of the land heralded good fortune for the dynasty. The most auspicious of all
sites was the northernmost one, and it was there that they decided to build the main royal palace and major
government buildings of the young Joseon dynasty.