| Hwangudan | |
|---|---|
 The two original main buildings. Coronation hall before destruction (right of center) and Hwanggungu (left), the latter of which still stands today (c. 1904) | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Address | 112, Sogong-ro, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea |
| Year(s) built |
|
| Inaugurated | October 11, 1897 |
| Awards and prizes | Historic Site No. 157 (1967) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 환구단 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Hwan(-)gudan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hwan'gudan |
Hwangudan (Korean: 환구단) was a shrine complex that still partially stands in Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. The complex consisted of two main buildings: a coronation site and Hwanggungu (황궁우; 皇穹宇; lit. Imperial Vault of Heaven). The coronation site was built in late 1897 and destroyed in 1913. Hwanggungu was built in 1899 and still stands today.
The coronation site was built as the site of King Gojong's ritual declaration of the Korean Empire. Upon his ascendency, Gojong performed the Rite of Heaven, a ritual that had not been performed by a Korean monarch for hundreds of years. The ritual was normally reserved for Sons of Heaven, but Korea had been a tributary state to China for centuries.
The coronation site was demolished by the Japanese colonial government and replaced with the Josun Railway Hotel (조선철도호텔). The Josun Hotel's successor, the Josun Hotel & Resort still stands on the location of the hall, with Hwanggungu nearby.
Hwangudan was designated South Korea's Historic Site No. 157 on July 15, 1967, but it is still relatively unknown to both locals and tourists. The complex has gone by a number of other names, including Wongudan (원구단; 圜丘壇), Jecheondan (제천단; 祭天壇) and Wondan (원단; 圜壇).