Cheongwadae- The Blue House
Cheong Wa Dae is the executive office and official residence of the South Korean head of state, the President of the Republic of Korea and located in capital city Seoul. The Korean name literally translates to "pavilion of blue tiles." The Blue House is in fact a complex of buildings, built largely in the traditional Korean architectural style with some modern elements. Built upon the site of the royal garden of Joseon Dynasty, the Blue House now consists of the Main Office Hall, the Presidential Residence, the State Reception House,the Chunchugwan, Press Hall, and the Secretariat Buildings. The entire complex covers approximately 250,000 square metres or 62 acres. The location of Cheongwadae was the site of a royal villa in what was then H anyang, the southern capital of the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). It was built by King Sukjong (r. 1095–1105) in 1104. Goryeo's principal capital was at Kaesŏng, and it also maintained a western capital at Pyongyang and an eastern capital...