Photo provided to Shanghai Star.

The curved, tiled roofs with distinctive emerald green woodwork are imposing, their air of gravitas reminding you that they have weathered time and history to greet you today.

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The intricate woodwork has been meticulously restored with bright paint and traditional motifs. Great stone slabs in the middle of staircases depicting phoenixes and other mythical beasts grow more and more impressive as you measure your ascent towards the seat of power at Geunjeongjeon Hall.

Geunjeongjeon Hall houses the intricate red throne under a massive roof with layers of green wooden rafters.

It used to be where the king conducted most of his business, and features a couple of seven-clawed dragons right in the center of the ceiling, symbols of imperial power and majesty.

An icon of the Joseon dynasty and Korea’s national sovereignty, the Gyeongbokgung has seen its share of turbulence and devastation.

The complex was the largest of the Five Grand Palaces completed by the Joseon dynasty and was burnt to the ground by the Japanese between 1592 and 1598. It was laid to waste for nearly 300 years, then rebuilt in 1868 on a grand scale when 330 buildings were rebuilt.

Unfortunately, this second version was not to last, for the 20th century saw another invasion by Japan, and in 1915 nearly 90 percent of the buildings were torn down.

The Japanese erected the building of the Governor-General on the site to drive home the point.

Since 1990, the South Korean government has been restoring the palace to its former glory as a matter of national pride, with the Governor-General Building built by the Japanese removed in the 1990s.