▲ Geonchunmun Gate in the 1920s            These refer to high walls surrounding the palace. They were built in 1398(the seventh year of King Taejo) in the east, south and west. The Geonchunmun, Gwanghwamun and Yeongchumun gates were built into the walls. The northern wall was constructed later, along with the north gate, Sinmumun. The palace walls basically formed a rectangle and on the left and right side of the front were two watchtowers, Dongsibjagak and Seosibjagak. Even after all the palace buildings were burned down during the Japanese Invasions in the late 16th century, the walls of Gyeongbokgung protected the palace grounds from the general public. When the palace was rebuilt during King Gojong's reign, the walls were repaired. During the Japanese colonial period(1910-1945), the front wall was taken down and the rest was damaged during the Korean War(1950-1953). The current palace walls have been rebuilt several times since, redrawn further inside the original walls. Gwanghwamun is the main gate of the palace. It has a double-roofed pavilion over three arched openings set in a high stone foundation. The king used the central arch, while the crown prince and officials entered through the openings on either side. The gate pavillion housed a bell, which announced the time of day. The current Gwanghwamun was restored in 1968 as a concrete structure. The original gate had been moved to the north of Geonchunmun, the east gate of the palace, when the headquarters of the Japanese Government-General in Korea was built right behind Gwanghwamun in the 1920s. Bombed during the Korean War(1950-1953), the pavilion of the original gate was destroyed and the stone foundation was severely scarred. The fact that Gyeongbokgung is the Joseon Dynasty's main palace was evident by the style of its gates, including Gwanghwamun. Although the gates in other palaces stand on low steps, those of Gyeongbokgung are replicas of fortress gates, with high stone foundations and arched entrances in the center. Gwanghwamun is the most formal of these gates with three arched openings, a good indication that Gwanghwamun is the main gate of the palace.     ▲ Gwanghwamun in the 1900s ▲ Gwanghwamun the main gate of the palace         This east gate means "spring begins." Geonchunmun was mostly used by the crown prince and the court officials working in the administrative buildings in the Crown Prince's Compound. The current gate was erected when Gyeongbokgung was rebuilt in 1865(the second year of King Gojong). ▲ Geonchunmun the east gate of the palace.                 The west gate means "autumn is welcomed." Complementing the name of Geonchunmun in the east, Yeongchumun was built to conform to the connotations implicit in the notions of "west" and "autumn." This gate was mainly used by civil and military court officials, in particular those who worked in the administrative buildings located in the west. The current concrete gate was restored in 1975. ▲ Yeongchumun the west gate of the palace.                 The north gate was erected after the northern wall was constructed. In 1475(the sixth year of King Seongjong), this gate obtained the name Sinmumun. Few people used the north gate, except when civil servants participated in rare gatherings to pledge alliance at a site located near the gate. During King Yeongjo's reign(1724-1776), when ancestral memorial services were held for the king's mother, Sukbin, the Gyeongbokgung site through this gate was used as a path to Yuksanggung(later Chilgung), the shrine housing her memorial tablet. Sukbin, her family name was Choe, was a concubine of King Sukjong(King Yeongjo? mother). Sinmumun is on the same scale as Geonchunmun and the current gate was erected when Gyeongbokgung was rebuilt in 1865. ▲ Sinmumun the north gate of the palace               This watchtower is situated at the southeastern corner of the palace. With the demolition of the palace walls, it sits in the middle of a busy intersection. The western watchtower on the other side of the palace was torn down in 1923 during the Japanese occupation. ▲ Dongsibjagak Watchtower