Jeongdong Empire and Legations

The Seoul Anglican Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Nicholas features a distinctive Romanesque facade of red brick and white granite. This structure owes its existence to the persistent efforts of Arthur Dixon, the first Anglican…

Deoksugung Palace stands out for its stone wall lined with dark, weathered trees, a sharp contrast to the bright vermilion paint found on other royal palaces in Seoul. While most palaces here celebrate the Joseon dynasty’s power, this one…

The Jeongdong Observatory occupies the thirteenth floor of the Seoul City Hall Seosomun Building. A wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows provides a wide, elevated view of the historic Deoksugung Palace complex below. During the late…

Deoksugung Stone-wall Road follows a kilometer of rough, gray granite blocks that mark the original perimeter of Deoksugung Palace. The wall snakes through the center of Seoul, separating the quiet, manicured grounds of the former royal…

A dark red brick building rises among the trees in Jeong-dong with a sharp, pointed spire and narrow, arched windows. This is the Chungdong First Methodist Church, the first Protestant house of worship established in Korea. Henry…

Jungmyeongjeon Hall is a two-story red brick building that stands apart from the traditional wooden architecture of the surrounding palace grounds. Originally constructed as a library for the imperial family, it became the place where…

The Ewha Museum occupies the Simons Hall building, identified by its rugged, grey stone exterior and the distinct arched entrance that sits flush against the street. This structure served as the first stone building on the Ewha campus,…

The Old Russian Legation is a pale, three-story brick building capped by a dark, rusted tower that rises above the stone walls of Jeong-dong. This was the sanctuary where King Gojong fled in eighteen ninety-six after his queen was…