Unhyeongung Royal Residence

Unhyeongung was the home of the Heungseon Daewongun, and when his young son became King Gojong in 1863 the boy moved to the palace while the father governed from here, which made this compound the effective centre of the country for about a decade. It is not a palace in scale or decoration: three main buildings - Norakdang, Noandang and Irodang - around courtyards, in plain wood and tile with none of the painted brackets of the royal halls, which is the point, since a regent's residence was not supposed to compete with the throne. Gojong's wedding to Queen Min took place here and is re-enacted on set dates. Rooms are furnished with mannequin tableaux showing court life, there is a small exhibition hall, and the courtyards have old trees and are pleasant to sit in. It is free, takes an hour, sits two minutes from Anguk station, and it is markedly quieter than the palaces around it.

What you actually see

• The three halls - Norakdang, Noandang and Irodang.
• The plain construction - unpainted wood, deliberately restrained.
• The furnished rooms - tableaux of nineteenth-century court life.
• The courtyards - old trees and quiet between the buildings.

When to go

Year-round; it is free and small. Closed on Mondays. Wedding re-enactments happen on announced dates in spring and autumn.

Honest expectations

It is a residence, not a palace - visitors expecting scale will find it modest. An hour covers it. Mannequin displays are dated in style.

Nearby

Insadong and Jogyesa are minutes away; Changdeokgung and Bukchon are north.