Built-in 1395 by King Taejo Yi Seong-gye, the Gyeongbokgung Palace served as a royal residence for 2 centuries, until it was destroyed by the Japanese at the end of the 16th century. Abandoned for 250 years, the palace was restored over the years under the reign of King Gojung, but the Japanese Empire demolished it again in 1912 during the occupation of Korea. Despite its painful past, the Gyeongbokgung Palace remains today one of the most beautiful and largest palaces in the country.