Gyeongbokgung Palace | Joseon Dynasty, 1396

Located on a peninsula to the northeast of China and encompassing both of the modern-day countries of North and South Korea, the Kingdom of Goryeo was also invaded and ruled briefly by the Mongols until 1350. Not long afterwards, in 1392, the Joseon Dynasty would seize power and rule as the last dynastic kingdom of Korea until 1910 when the Empire of Korea was established.

Left: Lee Sung Woo from WikiCommons & Right: Bongki66 from Pixabay

The Joseon Dynasty built 5 grand palaces during their reign, the first and largest of which was Gyeongbokgung Palace, which sits in front of Mount Bugak on the north side of Seoul. This gigantic palace complex was once completely destroyed by the Japanese in 1592 before being rebuilt 3 centuries later in 1867. This lack of historical integrity could be the reason why the smaller Changdeokgung is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site instead of Gyeongbokgung.

Excuse me! Are you on Pinterest?! Here are a couple of pins! Right: Brady Bellini on Unsplash

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This post is part of an expanded series taken from 37 Wonders of the World in Chronological Order. You can click the link to read more or navigate between individual photo posts beneath the gallery.

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37 Wonders of the World in Chronological Order

For 5,000 years, the world's civilizations have pushed the boundries of creativity to levels beyond previous conpmrehension. In this guide we explore 37 of the greatest Wonders of the World