f11project

It is not uncommon to see an entire neighbourhood in modern day Chinese cities and villages torn down to make way for new urban developments. Once an old historic neighbourhood with ancestral homes can vanish in the blink of an eye in the name of progress.

For some residents, this might be welcoming news provided they do get benefits out of the upheaval. Unfortunately more often than not, the common people which the state is suppose to look after are not getting what they deserve. A lot of them asked the same question: Is this the price of progress?

Changdeokgung Palace was built in 1395 and it is one of the “Five Grand Palaces” built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Changdeokgung, like the other Five Grand Palaces in Seoul, was heavily damaged during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Currently, only 30% of the Palace structures remain.

Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. The UNESCO committee inscribing the site stated the place was an “outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design” being exceptional because the buildings are “integrated into and harmonized with the natural setting” and adapted “to the topography and retaining indigenous tree cover.”