Jongmyo
1. Jongmyo
- 1 - Jongmyo 1. Royal Shrine of the Joseon Dynasty
Welcome to the Jongmyo Shrine, a fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jongmyo is a Confucian shrine established to honor the royal ancestors of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's last dynasty that ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1392 to 1910. The shrine is one of the first state institutions built in 1392, when Yi Seong-gye, the founder and first king of the dynasty, moved his dynasty's capital to Hanyang, today's Seoul. The Joseon Dynasty adopted Confucianism as the state ideology largely for its emphasis on loyalty and filial piety. That explains why the practice of honoring ancestral spirits via seasonal memorial rites and ceremonies had been established as an essential part of the Korean people's life in the Joseon Period. They believed that their ancestors protected their descendants even after death, and hence living descendants should try their utmost to express their gratitude to the deceased. As for aristocratic families, it was very important to have a family shrine in their house and hold ceremonies to thank or report the ancestors about what happened to them. The Jongmyo Shrine enshrined spirit tablets of the dynasty's rulers, their consorts and meritorious subjects. It had been, therefore, a very important state
- 2 - institution symbolizing the lineage of the royal house and the spiritual foundation of the dynasty. The Jongmyo Shrine located at the heart of Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, has been a symbol of the 500-year history of the Joseon Dynasty. Even today, more than a century since the fall of the dynasty, the shrine is regarded as one of the most, if not the most, important heritage sites representing the great Confucian tradition the dynasty developed and maintained. Let’s go inside and find out more about what makes this shrine so special. See you at the information panel behind the entrance gate.
- 3 - Jongmyo 2. UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Jongmyo Shrine is where JongmyoJerye, or the Royal Ancestral Rite, is performed to commemorate the life and legacy of the Joseon kings and their queen consorts. The shrine is on a site seven times larger than a soccer field and consists of a number of buildings including the two main shrine buildings, Jeongjeon, or the Main Shrine Hall, and Yeongnyeongjeon, Hall of Everlasting Peace. The extraordinary cultural and historical value of the shrine earned it a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1995. Similar legacies were preserved in Asian countries with Confucian traditions, China and Vietnam in particular, but it is only the Jongmyo Shrine that the original memorial ritual is held still today by the descendants of the royals whose spirit tablets were enshrined. In addition to the shrine, the memorial rite regularly held at the shrine and the music and dance performed for the rite were also proclaimed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. You can see a paved path called Samdo, or Triple-lane Road, starting just inside the entrance gate to the Main Shrine Hall. The path was used only when the ancestral memorial rite took place by the king and the crown prince who were to take the eastern and western lane respectively. The central lane was used only by the royal ancestral spirits whose mortuary tablets were housed in the shrine and the chief ritual officiant carrying incense to the shrine.
- 4 - Jongmyo 3. Jidang-The Harmony of Heaven and Earth
Jidang, or Pond, located opposite of Mangmyoru is one of the three bodies of water artificially created at the precincts of the Jongmyo Shrine. It was made to convey the divine energy of the heaven reflected in the water of the pond to the ground containing it. It may look like a simple garden pond, but the truth is that it was designed after careful consideration of the ancient philosophical tradition developed in East Asia. According to the philosophy, the round islet at the center symbolizes heaven while the square boundary of the pond symbolizes earth. Therefore, the harmony of the islet and the water represents the harmony of heaven and earth by which all things in this universe are in peace and harmony. The profound philosophical depth reflected upon even minor architectural and landscaping elements shows that this royal ancestral shrine relished the supreme position among all the state and royal institutions.
- 5 - 4. Mangmyoru-A Lofty House where a King Jongmyo Reflected Deeply about the Dynasty
Mangmyoru, which literally means "a lofty house for looking up at the shrine", was a building used by government officials of the Joseon Dynasty whose duty was to look after the shrine. It was sometimes used as a place for night vigil for Joseon rulers when they stayed at the shrine as part of the preparation for the forthcoming memorial rite. As the name of the building expresses properly, the kings faced and looked up at the central shrine hall from this building and reflected deeply about the achievements of their ancestors, the dynasty, and the duties they inherited from their ancestors. As an architectural work, the building features seven bays on the front and two bays on each side. Characteristically, the bay on the far left is designed to have a raised floor with an open space underneath. It is this lofty floor that gave the building the name Mangmyoru rather than Mangmyodang, as the word "ru" refers to a tall building with two or more stories. Currently, the building is used as a library containing books on the Jongmyo Shrine and history of the Joseon Dynasty.
- 6 - Jongmyo 5. Memorial Shrine for King Gongmin
This memorial shrine honoring King Gongmin of the Goryeo Dynasty is generally regarded as something very unlikely to be here. Why? Let’s go in and take a look at the king's official portrait enshrined in it. The portrait hung in this small shrine hall captures King Gongmin, one of the last rulers of the Goryeo Dynasty, along with his queen consort, Princess Noguk. Historical records show that the king tried hard, and partly succeeded, to keep his kingdom from the interventions of the Mongol-founded Yuan Dynasty in China. The kingdom was, however, overthrown in the last decade of the 14th century by one of its powerful military leaders who later established the Joseon Dynasty. How, then, could this portrait of the Goryeo's royal couple be enshrined in the Joseon's state institution? No one knows exactly when or why the Goryeo king's memorial shrine was built in the royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon Dynasty although there are several different versions of the background behind its establishment. According to one of the most widespread, and somewhat fantastic, stories a violent whirlwind arose and struck a building site where people were busy with building the royal shrine of the newly launched Joseon dynasty. Then suddenly there appeared a portrait blown by the wind from somewhere in the air. The portrait was then promptly moved to the palace where an emergency cabinet meeting was held regarding what it was and how it should be treated. The king of the new dynasty found that the portrait was that of King Gongmin of Goryeo which he had overthrown. His cabinet members believed that there should be some divine intention behind what had happened at the place which would be the most sacred place of their new country. The Joseon king agreed to his cabinet and decided to build a memorial hall for the Goryeo ruler within the sanctuary of his ancestral shrine, and honor the great reform efforts and achievement he had made.
- 7 - 6. Hyangdaecheong-A Hall for the Preparation of Jongmyo the Rite JHyangdaecheong, or Great Incense Hall, consists of two long buildings standing side by side with a rectangular courtyard between them. The left building called Hyangcheong, or Incense Hall, is the storage of important religious objects used for the seasonal memorial rites held in the shrine. These include incense which helps invoke the spirits of the deceased royal ancestors, written prayers recited to the gods of heaven and earth, and special gifts offered to the spirits and gods. In the past all these items were granted by the king on the day before the rite. It is here in this building that you can find all the ritual vessels, though without food offerings, arranged just as they were at the original rite. The other building on the right, Jipsacheong, meaning Stewards' Hall, is where all the stewards gathered together to prepare themselves for the rite. There were in the Joseon Period more buildings for those whose duty was to prepare, supervise and manage the rite, but today it is the only one that could survive turbulent times.
- 8 - Jongmyo 7. Jaegung -Ablution Palace
[Narration] You are now in the courtyard of Jaegung, which was used as a temporary lodge for the king and the crown prince when they stayed at the shrine for the ancestral memorial rite. As you can see, there are three buildings in this shrine palace, the King's Lodge at the center, the Crown Prince's Lodge in the right, and the Royal Bathroom in the left where the two royals cleansed body as part of the preparation for the rite. Here we have an expert of the royal ancestral memorial rite who will give us a brief introduction to the process in which the king and crown prince prepared themselves for the rite. [Historian] The Joseon king and his heir began their preparations for the ancestral memorial rite at the Jongmyo Shrine at least seven days before the day of the rite. They were required to cleanse their mind and bodies, and tried their utmost to avoid forbidden words and deeds. They were not allowed, for instance, to make a condolatory visit, send a message of condolence, pay a visit to a sick person, enjoy music, or issue a punishment order, Then they began to devote themselves wholly to the preparations when there were only three days left to the rite. It was the day before the day of rite that the king and his heir arrived at the shrine and began their final phase of preparations which included deep reflections upon the great achievement of their ancestors. They also cleansed their body and mind so that they could meet the spirits of their ancestors in the most pious and pure state. [Narration] On the day of rite, the two royals staying at the shrine palace wore sacrificial garments as shown by the mannequins presented
- 9 - here, and escorted to the venues of the rite in the Main Shrine Hall and the Hall of Everlasting Peace. Interestingly, these garments are the same as those they wore for official celebratory occasions. While the memorial rite was held in honor of the dead and hence needed to maintain a solemn, even somber, atmosphere at all times, the Joseon rulers regarded it as an auspicious and hopeful event praying for the safety and prosperity of the dynasty as well as peaceful rest of the deceased royal ancestors.
- 10 - Jongmyo 8.Jeonsacheong- Shrine Kitchen
Now, you have just entered a courtyard enclosed by the buildings of the shrine kitchen called Jeonsacheong. All the foods served as offerings to the royal ancestral spirits were prepared here. Four granite mortars standing at one corner of the courtyard state that it was indeed a kitchen. The traditional memorial rite held in honor of ancestral spirits maintained in Korea usually involved offering specially prepared foods and beverages. As it was one of the most important state occasions, preparation of sacrificial food for the royal ancestral memorial rite had to be carried out according to strict rules and traditions. There is outside Jeonsacheong a spring well called Jejeong, or Well for the Rite. The well is protected by its own walls and entrance strictly controlled. And the well water was used only for the preparation of sacrificial food offered to the royal ancestral spirits. It was also here that animal sacrifices such as cow and pig were inspected, slaughtered and prepared for offering. As you can see there are two square stone platforms set up at the courtyard. The smaller of the two is where animals to be sacrificed were inspected carefully. Animals showing any sign of disease or any mark of injury or wound were discarded. Only those that passed the inspection were allowed to be kept at a specially prepared pen for about 90 days until sacrificed for the rite. All the sacrifices prepared underwent the final inspection before they were arranged on the altar as offering. The examination took place at the larger platform. Hygienic preparation of clean and fresh food was the goal of this process.
- 11 - Jongmyo 9. Subokbang-A Fire at Subokbang
[Narration] The building you are now looking at is Subokbang, or Caretakers' Lodge, where the shrine's caretakers stayed. There were always thirty caretakers who took care of the royal shrine 24 hours a day. Subokbang is often remembered with a fire that led to the destruction of the part of the shrine. [Shrine Guard 1] Fire! There's fire in the shrine! Fire! [Narration] The fire devouring the most important state institution of the Joseon Dynasty frightened all who were in charge of its safety. [Chief Manager] Quench it! Water! Bring water quick, and put out the fire! [Narration] After the fire was quenched, the chief manager of the shrine found out that the fire was far from accidental. [Shrine Guard 2] Sir, we found that the fire was set on deliberately. A band of burglars broke into the shrine and stole valuables from it. They set fire to it to remove traces of their intrusion. [Chief Manager] What! How could such a horrible thing happen? Go and get these evil people! [Narration] The burglars were caught and, to everyone's surprise, they included caretakers of the royal ancestral shrine. [Shrine Guard 2] We caught the culprits, and brought them here. They were in league with the burglars outside to steal valuable articles from the shrine. [Chief Manager] How horrible! How could you abandon your duty so easily and steal priceless state properties. Your hideous crime will be deterred by capital punishment. [Narration] Committing crimes against such holy place as the royal ancestral shrine was something unimaginable in the Joseon Period. As the Chief Manager of the shrine clearly stated, stealing valuable religious items from and setting fire to the shrine was an unforgivable crime, and widely regarded as an omen for the future of the Joseon Dynasty.
- 12 - 10. Jeongjeon,Chambers of the Main Shrine Hall and Jongmyo the Sacrificial Table
You are now at the courtyard of the Main Shrine Hall of the Joseon's royal ancestral shrine. The shrine hall houses spirit tablets of Joseon kings and their queen consorts with which memorial rites are held in honor of their achievements. Unfortunately, the shrine hall is not open to the public, so you will be given a brief introduction of the hall through the information panel standing hear near you. . The royal ancestral memorial rite is held before the spirit tablets of Joseon kings and their consorts. Each tablet is made of wood and acts as an effigy of a specific royal ancestor. As you can see from the information panel, a total of 49 spirit tablets of kings and queens are enshrined in 19 chambers of the Main Shrine Hall, and 34 tablets in 16 chambers of the Hall of Everlasting Peace. A sacrificial table is offered to each chamber so that each king shares the same table with his one or more consorts. Offered foods are divided into those seasoned and unseasoned, wet and dry, and along with specially brewed beverages put in special sacrificial vessels some of whose forms can be traced back to over two millennia ago. Kings and Queens Enshrined in the Main Shrine Hall Take a look at the chart on the information panel containing the list of Joseon kings and queens whose spirit tablets are enshrined in the Main Shrine Hall of the Jongmyo Shrine. The chart also shows their posthumous titles and the locations of their spirit
- 13 - tablets. When a king or queen died in the Joseon Period, his or her dead body was buried at a special burial place while his or her spirit was put into a spirit tablet and enshrined in the Main Shrine Hall of the Jongmyo Shrine. The Joseon Dynasty had 25 kings of which 19 kings, including those posthumously given kingly titles, have their spirit tablets enshrined in the Main Shrine Hall along with the spirit tablets of their queen consorts. The original Main Shrine Hall was a five-bay building. As time passed, however, the shrine had to be enlarged several times to house more spirit tablets until it came to have its current long 19-bay structure. It was when Joseon was under the rule of its fourth monarch, King Sejong, that the shrine came to have an annex shrine which would become today's Yeongnyeongjeon, or Hall of Everlasting Peace. The new shrine hall was intended to house the ancestral tablets moved from the Main Shrine Hall which was to be dedicated only to the four latest generations of ancestors. When a king died and his tablet arrived at the Main Shrine Hall, the tablets of the oldest remaining in the shrine had to be removed from the Main Shrine Hall to the annex. There were, however, tablets that should continue to remain in the central hall regardless of the arrival of new tablets. The Joseon's royal family kept the tablets of the kings who had made extraordinary achievements in the Main Shrine Hall while those of other kings were moved to the Hall of Everlasting Peace when their time came.
- 14 - Jongmyo 11.Jeongjeon, the Main Shrine Hall
You are now at the courtyard of the Jongmyo Shrine's Main Shrine Hall where seasonal memorial rites are held in honor of Joseon rulers and their consorts whose spirit tablets are enshrined here. The shrine building standing here is 101 meters long, making it the largest wooden buildings remaining in Korea. The shrine building consists of 19 chambers housing the spirit tablets of Joseon kings and their consorts to which sacrificial foods and beverages are offered during the memorial rite. The Main Shrine Hall underwent several renovations and enlargements to have the shape it has today. The original building featured a seven-bay structure but continued to be enlarged to have the nineteen-bay structure through three major enlargements. Each enlargement created more bays to the east, and its attached buildings were also moved to the east. The original shrine building was burnt down by a fire that broke out in 1592 when the Japanese forces invaded Korea, starting the seven-year war that devastated almost the entire Korean Peninsula. The shrine buildings began to be rebuilt after the war but took many years to have the form it has today. Now let's find out what makes the shrine building so special in the history of Korean architecture. The Architectural Excellence of the Main Shrine Hall The architectural excellence of the Main Shrine Hall of Jongmyo has been widely acknowledged by architectural connoisseurs across the world. One of the outstanding architectural and aesthetic features of the building is its perfect symmetry. Maintaining such a faultless symmetry and grace is quite amazing, particularly so considering that the building underwent several major renovation and enlargement works over several hundred years. The roof is over 100 meters long but maintains a perfect horizontal line although the building's main body is supported by columns of different heights. Even today's architectural experts are marveled at the scientific design and meticulous finishes of construction particularly in consideration of the times when there were little means that are available to today's builders. The columns supporting the roof feature the unique shape that Korean builders in
- 15 - the past were so fond of. These entasis columns are marked by a slight convex curve in the middle part which creates a sense of stability by correcting the illusion of concavity produced by a straight shaft. A series of twenty columns standing at regular intervals along the front part of the building symbolizes the eternal prosperity of the Joseon Dynasty, and creates a sense of awe among viewers. Now look at the front doors of the shrine hall. Interestingly, no two panels of a door fit neatly when closed, always allowing a gap between them somewhere at the lower part. It is an ingenious design to improve ventilation and control humidity of the interior and, more importantly, ensure a comfortable passage for the royal ancestral spirits when they get in and out of the shrine hall.
- 16 - Jongmyo 12.Royal Ancestral Memorial Rite of Joseon
JongmyoJerye, or Royal Ancestral Memorial Rite of Joseon, refers to a seasonal memorial rite held to honor the royal ancestors of the Joseon Dynasty at the Jongmyo Shrine where their spirit tablets are enshrined. As for Joseon, a dynasty run according to the Confucian ideology, the rite was the acme of all the rites and ceremonies carried out to represent the ideal Confucian virtues of Loyalty and Filial Piety. The institution of the royal ancestral shrine and the tradition of the royal ancestral memorial rite remain in China and Vietnam, too, but the turbulent modern history turned them into communist states, resulting in a considerable loss of the original institution. Korea's royal ancestral memorial rite is known to be the only survivor of its kind which is still held as an annual event by the royal descendants of the Joseon Dynasty. That is a good part of the reason why in 2001 the rite was inscribed by UNSECO to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In the Joseon Period, the state rites of honoring royal ancestors were held five times a year in the first month of every season, that are, the first, fourth, seventh, tenth, and twelfth month of the year. There were also special rites held when a special celebratory event or disaster took place. The rite is largely consisted of three stages. The first stage involves burning incense, offering wine and invoking ancestral spirits, and the second reciting prayers and sharing of food and beverage removed from the offering tables. The last stage involves the ceremony of farewell to the ancestral spirits by incinerating written prayers and special gifts offered to them. The Joseon's loss of sovereignty to Imperial Japan in the early 20th century posed a serious threat to the heritage, and it was only in 1969 that it was restored by
- 17 - a group of royal descendants. Today the rite is held once a year, on the first Sunday of May, at the Jongmyo Shrine. The Harmony of Heaven and Earth_2 JongmyoJeryeak, or the Royal Ancestral Ritual Music, refers to the musical work performed at the Jongmyo Shrine as part of the royal ancestral memorial rite to honor the achievements of the rulers of the Joseon Dynasty. The music is consisted of many pieces and also involves dance and songs honoring the achievements of royal ancestors. The music was originally created to be used at a royal banquet organized by King Sejong, the Joseon's fourth king. Until then, the Joseon court had used the music they inherited from the earlier dynasty of Goryeo which was in turn originated from the old Chinese court music. King Sejong was not satisfied at that his dynasty had to honor his great ancestors with the music of Chinese origin. He ordered his scholars and musicians to find Joseon's own tunes and make Joseon's own ceremonial music to be played at the ancestral rites. The Joseon's royal ancestral ritual music played today continued to be refined since then and finally completed during the reign of his son, King Sejo. King Sejong eventually led to the creation of an original music notation system called Jeongganbo, or "Grid Notation". The system is known to be the Asia's first Mensural notation and often compared with the development of staff notation in the West regarding its significance in the history of music. As for the artistic merit of the Royal Ancestral Ritual Music, experts praise the harmony between different artistic elements, ritual, hymn, dance, music, costume, poetry and so on. Some even compare it with opera or musical in that it combines various musical and artistic parts to create a great whole although it must be pointed out that this music is performed as part of a religious or semi-religious rite whereas the Western musical heritage is performed more for entertainment and aesthetic contentment. The greatness of the heritage also lied in that it is unique Korean music heritage though created out of old Chinese court music, and that its original form has been preserved for about 600 years.
- 18 - Jongmyo 13.Gongsindang-The Destiny of the Meritorious Subjects
A long, delightfully simple structure of Gongsindang, or Hall of Meritorious Subjects, standing at the opposite of the Main Shrine Hall enshrines spirit tablets of, as the name suggests, government officials who made distinguished achievements for their king and the dynasty. The size of the original shrine building for the meritorious subjects is recorded differently in many historical texts. The building has since then continued to be enlarged until today when it is a sixteen-bay building housing spirit tablets of eighty three meritorious subjects of Joseon. Requirements to be designated as a meritorious subject varied according to the political situations of the period concerned, but largely they were related with the contribution to the restoration of royal authority as well as the discovery of treason or subjugation of rebellion. The destiny of the meritorious subjects whose spirit tablets are housed in this shrine hall was closely related with the ruler they served even after they had died. Their spirit tablets remained in the Gongsindang as far as those of their kings did in the Main Shrine Hall, but had to leave the shrine and was sent to their descendants as soon as their king's was removed from the Main Shrine Hall.
- 19 - Jongmyo 14.Chilsadang-The Belief of Common People
Chilsadang, or Hall of Seven Deities, is another minor shrine hall at the opposite of the Main Shrine Hall standing symmetrical to Gongsindang. It is the shrine built, as the name suggests, to honor seven deities worshipped by people of all social status from royalty and aristocracy to common folks while Jongmyo is a shrine to honor royal ancestors, and Gongsindang their meritorious subjects. Who are these seven deities, you may wonder? They are related with everyday life of human beings, actively participating in various aspects of human life such as auspicious occasions, entrances and exits, food, housing, and travel. The rites of honoring the deities were held together with those to the spirits of the royal ancestors. Each of these deities is related with each of the four seasons and accordingly the rite was held in the season related with each deity. In winter, for instance, the rite was held to honor the god who is in charge of people's travel and hence can help people not to slip on icy road and get injured. The tradition of worshiping the seven deities shows that the ruling class of Joseon accepted the belief of common people that even the tiniest aspect of their life is managed by a divine being and therefore they need a certain ritual to thank them.
- 20 - 15. Yeongnyeongjeon Hall-The Harmony of Heaven Jongmyo and Earth_3
You have now entered the courtyard of Yeongnyeongjeon Hall, or Hall of Everlasting Peace, which is an auxiliary shrine of the Main Shrine Hall. As you can see, there is on the information panel a chart containing the list of the kings and their queen consorts whose spirit tablets are enshrined here. Only five ancestors, the dynasty founder and the current king’s four latest generations of ancestors were supposed to be honored at the Main Shrine Hall of the Joseon’s state shrine. It was during the reign of King Sejong, the Joseon's fourth ruler, that the dynasty decided to build an auxiliary shrine hall, today's Yeongnyeongjeon Hall, to house the spirit tablets that had to be removed from the Main Shrine Hall. Today the auxiliary shrine hall houses 34 spirit tablets of Joseon kings and their consorts, including the dynasty founder's four latest generations of ancestors who were given posthumous kingly titles, and seven rulers. The Joseon Dynasty had a total of 27 kings of which two were not allowed to be honored to be enshrined in the royal ancestral shrine. The two were ousted from the throne due to their ruthless tyranny and immoral behaviors. On the other hand, there was a king who was dethroned but restored the kingly title posthumously and whose spirit tablet was moved to the royal ancestral shrine.
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