Hello! In my last post, I introduced you to the Korean House Gohojae, a royal confectionery operated by the Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation. This time, I'm going to tell you that you can also enjoy royal confectionery in Gyeongbokgung Palace. It's an annual event, but it's only held for a certain period of time, so it's not currently operating, but I'm going to introduce it because it will start soon.

First, I'll tell you about Saenggwabang. Located in the Sojubang building of Gyeongbokgung Palace, Saenggwabang is one of the six offices of the palace (Six Offices: the six offices that shared the palace's internal affairs during the Joseon Dynasty. This includes Chim-bang (needle room), Subang (kitchen), Sesugan (washing room), Sojubang (wine room), Sedapbang (laundry room), and Saenggwabang). It was where the king and queen's desserts and special dishes were prepared, and it was also called Saengmulbang or Saenggeotbang. The Gyeongbokgung Saenggwabang program is a paid experiential program that allows you to enjoy royal pastries and royal medicinal tea based on the records of the Joseon Dynasty Annals, so that you can enjoy the royal pastries and medicinal tea that the king actually ate even today. In fact, this event was started in 2016 when the Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation prepared a special experience event that allowed a small number of people to enjoy royal pastries and medicinal tea.

The event period is held twice a year, in the spring and fall, and it is not open every day because it is only held for a certain period of time. It is usually held during the spring or autumn when the weather is nice. Operating hours are from 10:00 AM to 4:40 PM.

Next, I will tell you about how to participate.

① First, access the online reservation site (Ticketlink). → ② Select the date, session, and set (medicinal tea is selected on site) and pay (by card). → ③ [On site] Receive a tea ticket after selecting a royal medicinal tea at the information desk. → ④ Seat guide and allocation. → ⑤ Exchange royal confectionery sets and tea tickets. → ⑥ After that, you can taste and try the royal confectionery.

※ The Gyeongbokgung Saenggwabang program is also available online, so you need to purchase tickets through the designated link within the specified period and time.

This is how Saenggwabang is decorated inside. Saenggwabang is also reserved by seat, so it is divided into sessions. It is a seated arrangement, and confectionery is served on a small table. Don't you think it's a traditional and beautiful interior that shows the beauty of Korea?

In the early days of the program, it was easy to enter, but now, with word of mouth spreading on SNS, the competition to make reservations is so fierce that it has become known as "Gungkeッティング (Gung + Ticketing)". I also tried to book tickets last fall, but I couldn't help but fail because of the huge number of people waiting.

Most of the visitors to Saenggwabang are women in their 20s and 30s, and they have created a trend of dressing up in hanbok and taking pictures in front of the palace. The reason why Saenggwabang was so popular was that it was authenticated by the "Joseon Dynasty Annals", it offered royal confectionery that couldn't be found in ordinary cafes, and it was a unique experience to be served by staff who played the role of palace maids, allowing visitors to feel like they were the king. I think this was a big part of the appeal.

Now, I will introduce the menu. It is divided into two sets: the Chodujeomjeongbyeong set and the Juak set. The difference is in the composition of the pastries.

First, the Chodujeomjeongbyeong set. It is priced at 15,000 won and is the signature menu. The Chodujeomjeongbyeong set includes Gaeseong yakgwa (traditional Korean honey pastry), Chamwijeonggwa (candied melon), Jatbaksan (sesame bar), Maeyeopgwa (a traditional Korean pastry shaped like a plum blossom), and Gotgamdanji (persimmon cake).

"Chodu" in Chodujeomjeongbyeong means "roasted red beans", and it is a rice cake steamed in a steamer with red bean paste, chestnuts, dates, and pine nuts. It is interesting to note that the word "yakgwa" means "a pastry that is medicinal." Jatbaksan is a sesame bar made by mixing pine nuts with honey or malt and making it flat. Chamwijeonggwa is a traditional Korean pastry made by soaking or boiling fruits with a unique aroma in honey or sugar.

Maeyeopgwa means "a confectionery that looks like a sparrow perched on a plum blossom tree", and it is made by frying dough with cuts in it. Gotgamdanji is a pastry filled with chopped walnut bars, persimmon, pine nuts, etc., and kneaded with yuzu syrup.

When I first heard the name, it was unfamiliar, but now that I understand the meaning, doesn't it look delicious?

Next is the Juak set. It is priced at 12,000 won and includes Juak (a type of Korean rice cake), Salyeotgangjeong (rice malt bar), Maeyeopgwa (a traditional Korean pastry shaped like a plum blossom), Geumgyuljeonggwa (candied kumquat), Sagwajeonggwa (candied apple), and Gotgamdanji (persimmon cake).

Royal medicinal tea. If you choose the Chodujeomjeongbyeong set or the Juak set, you can choose from among the royal medicinal teas.

Gyeongokdaum (signature menu), Samgyulda (ginseng, tangerine peel, jujube), Gamgukda (chrysanthemum, wolfberry), Damgangda (ginger, honey), Omijada (Schisandra chinensis), and Jehotang (ginseng, tangerine peel, jujube) are available.

• Gyeongokgo is a medicinal herb made with ginseng, Poria cocos, rehmannia glutinosa, and honey, and it means "medicine as precious as jade". According to the "Journal of the Royal Secretariat", King Yeongjo took Gyeongokgo to recover his energy. Gyeongokdaum is a drink made from the precious herbs of Gyeongokgo that you can enjoy as tea.
• According to the Joseon Dynasty Annals, Samgyulda is a tea made with dried tangerine peel (Jinpi), which helps to smooth the flow of energy, and ginseng, which helps to replenish energy. It was also recorded that the tea made with tangerine peel was used as a major medicinal herb throughout the Joseon Dynasty.
• Gamguk in Gamgukda is also called Hwangguk (yellow chrysanthemum), and its flavor is sweet, bitter, cool, and non-toxic. According to the "Journal of the Royal Secretariat", King Sukjong and King Yeongjo drank it for their health, and they usually drank it to calm their minds when they were troubled or angry.
• The "Donguibogam" records that "ginger eliminates phlegm and lowers energy." Damgangda is a tea made with ginger and honey that was offered to King Sunjo, who suffered from indigestion, to help digestion and relieve phlegm after meals.
• Omija has five flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, astringent, and salty, hence the name "omija". It is better to drink it as tea than to eat it directly as fruit, as this helps to absorb the nutrients. Omijada is a medicinal tea that was made and offered to King Jungjong of the Joseon Dynasty to treat fever and thirst.

I want to try the Gyeongokdaum, which is a medicine as precious as jade.

Here's how to get there. By subway, it takes about 10 minutes on foot from Exit 1 of Anguk Station on Line 3. If you take Line 5, it takes about 10 minutes on foot from Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station, and about 12 minutes on foot from Exit 4 of Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3.

• Exit 5 of Gyeongbokgung Station is not available during nighttime hours (after 8 PM).

By bus, you can get off at the stop on bus No. 11 Jongno and walk. If you are driving, you can use the paid parking lot on the east side of Gyeongbokgung Palace (parking fee at your own expense).

For inquiries about the event, please call the Palace Utilization Program Call Center at 1522-2295.

※ The event period may change depending on future circumstances.

※ Detailed information about this event (event schedule, reservation information, etc.) can be found in the [Event Schedule] menu later.

※ Other information about the event (cancellation due to rain, etc.) can be found in the [Important Notice] menu.

This concludes the information about the Saenggwabang program, where you can enjoy royal confectionery at Gyeongbokgung Palace.