Hyangwonjeong Pavilion

Walk deeper into Gyeongbokgung's rear garden and you'll find this small, elegant pavilion floating in a round pond — King Gojong's private retreat, built around 1873, when he needed to get away from the business of running a palace.

The bridge you see today isn't the original — the first one, on the north side, was destroyed during the Korean War, and a replacement was quickly added on the south side instead. There's long been talk of rebuilding the original in its rightful spot.

Honest tip: it's lovely year-round, but cherry blossom and autumn foliage season packs the bridge with photographers. Go on a weekday morning for a quiet, uncrowded reflection shot. You can't step onto the pavilion itself — just admire it from the path around the pond.