Is Heunghwamun Gate, Gyeonghuigung wheelchair accessible?

Visit details

Heunghwamun is the main gate of Gyeonghuigung Palace. There were originally five gates into the palace: Heunghwamun as the main gate, Heungwonmun to the east, Sunguimun to the west, Gaeyangmun to the south, and Mudeokmun to the north. When Gyeonghuigung was first built, it followed the plan of Changgyeonggung on a smaller scale, and the main gate was a single-story structure. A low pass near the palace was called Yajugae, a name said to come from the outstanding calligraphy on Heunghwamun’s plaque, which shone even at night and lit the pass with its glow.

Heunghwamun originally stood east of Geumcheongyo Bridge—on the site of today’s Salvation Army Hall building—facing east toward Jongno. During the Japanese colonial period, road widening in 1915 shifted the gate slightly back from its original site and turned it south to run parallel with the road. In 1932, when Bakmunsa Temple was built in honor of Ito Hirobumi, the gate was dismantled and used as that temple’s main gate. After liberation, Bakmunsa was abolished; a state guesthouse and then The Shilla Hotel rose on the site, and the gate served as their main entrance as well. In 1988, as part of the Gyeonghuigung restoration, Seoul Metropolitan Government moved Heunghwamun back to the palace site, relocating and restoring it at the former location of Gaeyangmun to recover its historic role as a palace main gate.

Hours: 09:00–18:00 (last admission 17:30)

Closed: Every Monday / Jan 1

Information: 02-724-0274–6

Address: Jongno-gu Saemunan-ro 55 (Sinmun-ro 2Ga), Seoul

Official website: https://museum.seoul.go.kr