This is Gyeonghoeru, the banquet hall of the Joseon royal family. L.H. Underwood, the personal female physician of the last queen of Joseon, said this of Gyeonghoeru: “There is a building standing in the middle of a pond full of lotus flowers. It is the most unique and wonderful building in the world!” Gardens of Joseon were made with as little artificial landscaping as possible and maximized the use of the natural plants and flowers already in place. Observe Baegak Mountain in the back and Inwang Mountain to the west of Gyeonghoeru. Then look at Gyeonghoeru. The lines of the mountains and Gyeonghoeru match each other. Now look into the pond. Baegak Mountain, Inwang Mountain and Gyeonghoeru are reflected perfectly off the surface of the water. It’s like a mirror. This was the Joseon idea of beauty. To enjoy the best view of the scenery, however, you need to look out from the second floor of the pavilion. Joseon architecture considers the perspective of the building’s inhabitant more than the outer appearance of the building itself. The only people who could come up to the second floor were the king and officials who received special permission. East Asian people place great importance on the balance of yin and yang. They believed that the earth was square and the sky was round. Gyeonghoeru has 48 pillars. The 24 outer pillars are cubical and symbolize the land. Earth is yin. The 24 inner pillars are cylindrical and symbolize the sky. The sky is yang. If you look closely, you will notice bullet marks on the pillars. These were left by the Korean War, which began in 1950. Fortunately, there are marks only on the pillars; the rest of the pavilion is unmarked. In a place that was only permitted to the king and a selected few, they say that a lower official found his way inside.