Jongmyo

Jongmyo (Korean: 종묘) is a Confucian royal ancestral shrine in the Jongno District of Seoul, South Korea. It was originally built during the Joseon period (1392–1897) for memorial services for deceased kings and queens. According to UNESCO, the shrine is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established in the 14th century. Such shrines existed during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period (57–668), but these have not survived. The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995.

Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung lie to the north of Jongmyo. Yulgok-ro separated Jongmyo from the palaces from 1932 to 2019, until Yulgok-ro was turned into a road tunnel and the connection between Jongmyo and the palaces restored. The main buildings of Jongmyo were constructed in October 1394 when Taejo, founder and first king of Joseon, moved the capital to Hanseong (present-day Seoul). The shrine was destroyed by fire in the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), then rebuilt in early 1600s.

The shrine continues to be the venue for the Jongmyo Daejae ancestor-worship ceremony, where descendants of the imperial family honor the spirits of their deceased ancestors.

When it was built in 1394 at the order of King Taejo, the Jongmyo Shrine was thought to be one of the longest buildings in Asia, if not the longest. The main hall, known as Jeongjeon (정전; 正殿), had seven niches or myoshil (묘실; 廟室; lit. Temple Room), each reserved for the spirit tablets of a king and his queens. The complex was expanded by King Sejong (r. 1418–50) who ordered the construction of Yeongnyeongjeon (영녕전; 永寧殿; lit. Hall of Eternal Comfort). This practice of expansion continued, with the growth of the complex moving from west to east, because of the need to house more memorial tablets during the reigns of later kings until there were a total of 19 myoshil. However, during the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea, Japanese invaders burned down the original shrine and a new complex was constructed in 1601 and has survived to this day. The original spirit tablets were saved in the invasion by hiding them in the house of a commoner.

A king's tablet was enshrined three years after his death, which is the end of the mourning period for a king. There are 19 tablets of kings and 30 of their queens, placed in the 19 niches. Each niche is very simple and plain in design. Only two kings' memorial tablets are not enshrined here. In addition to the tablet, there is a panel listing each king's accomplishments.

The two most recent enshrinements occurred in 1973 and 1991 in Yeongnyeongjeon Room 16, for Crown Prince Euimin and his wife Crown Princess Bangja, respectively.

The current Jeongjeon is National treasure No. 227 and is the longest building in Korea of traditional design.

Viewed from the king's throne room at the royal palace Gyeongbokgung, Jongmyo Shrine would have been on the king's left while the Sajik Shrine, another important Confucian shrine, was on the right. This arrangement was derived from Chinese practice. also, because Changdeokgung Palace was older than Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jongmyo was connected to Changdeokgung Palace, and the king entered and left through the north gate instead of the south gate. The main halls are surrounded by hills. The south entrance gate was reserved for spirits to enter and exit, the east gate was for the king, and the west gate was for the performers of the royal ritual.