Late Middle Ages · East Asia · Culture

1393

Joseon dynasty begins construction of Gyeongbokgung Palace

1393

Yi Seong-gye, now King Taejo, laid the foundations of the Palace of Shining Happiness in the new capital of Hanyang. Designed according to Confucian geomancy - mountains behind, river before - Gyeongbokgung would serve as the seat of Korean government for five centuries, its elegant pavilions rising and falling with the dynasty's fortunes.