Jongmyo Temple - World Cultural Heritage in Korea

Jongmyo (Song Temple) is a temple dedicated to the tablets of kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty, serving as the source of the 500-year history of the Joseon Dynasty. Jongmyo is a work honoring the importance of the word “filial piety”, one of the basic principles of Confucianism, which was the foundation for ruling the country of the Joseon Dynasty. The ancestor worship rituals at Jongmyo, presided over by the Joseon kings themselves, carry the mission of transmitting the sacred sacrifice culture of the Joseon Dynasty and being an example of the word “filial piety”.

English name: Jongmyo Shrine
Location: Seoul
Year of recognition: 1995
Criteria: (iv)
Acreage: 19.4 hectares

The arrangement of the altars and space allocation at Jongmyo both show the solemnity and majesty, and exude the elegant and sacred beauty. Besides, the ritual music of Tong Mieu and Ilmu dances, rituals performed and handed down in Jongmyo from the reign of King Taejo (Thai To) of the Joseon Dynasty to this day, also contribute to enhance the cultural value of this Jongmyo area.

After choosing Hanyang (Hanyang, the old name of the capital Seoul) as the capital and building Gyeongbok Palace (Canh Phuc) as the main palace, Thai To Yi Seong-gye immediately built Jongmyo (Temple of the Temple). and Sajik (Xa Tac) altar.

Jongmyo is the nation’s most important street, where the tablets of the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty were worshiped. And the Sajik (Xa Tac) is a place to worship the Gods of Rice and God of the Earth, praying for a peaceful and prosperous life for all people.

Jongmyo’s most important works are Jeongjeon (Main Hall), which worships 49 tablets of emperors, and Yeongnyeong (Vinh Ninh), where the tablets of 34 kings and concubines are not allowed to be placed at. Main electricity. In front of Jeongjeon’s garden is from Gongsin (Cong Than) Street, which worships the tablets of 83 Joseon Dynasty officials.

According to the ancient concept of Koreans, a wooden tablet with the name of the deceased is the place where the souls rest.

Jongmyo is the place to keep the tablets of the emperors for 519 years with 25 Joseon kings, from the reign of King Taejo (Thai To) to the reign of King Sunjong (Thuan Tong). The two dethroned kings Yeonsangun (Yen Son Quan) and Gwanghaegun (Quang Hai Quan) are not worshiped at this place.

With a total length of up to 101m, Jeongjeon is the longest wooden structure in the world. When it was first built in 1395, Jeongjeon had only seven shrines, but it was later expanded to 19 as it is today.

Because this is the resting place of the emperor’s souls, the architecture and colors of Jeongjeon, although not sophisticated and brilliant, still show the solemnity and solemnity of a place where the ancestor worship rituals of Jeongjeon are performed. whole country.