Jongmyo Shrine’s main building(Jeongjeon, Yeongnyeongjeon)

Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno-gu, Seoul, is the royal shrine interred with tablets of royal family of the Joseon Dynasty and the place where the memorial services for the kings and queens were performed. The place itself has the greatest religious implications from a Confucian perspective and it is a sacred site that has the legitimacy of political principal of the time. It is also a great representation of the culture and legacy in the royal history.

The shrine was first built around the end of 14th century by King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty. Unfortunately, it had to undergo reconstruction around 17th century after the complete destruction due to Japanese invasion in 1592. Fortunately enough, it was suggested that the shrine’s originality and structures are well maintained, preserving the spiritual beliefs valued by generations of Korean. Therefore, the unique atmosphere found from the ground and entire compound in sum are considered to be a one-of-a-kind historical monument nowhere to be found, encompassing all the other Asian and Western nations.

Especially in the Jongmyo Shrine’s main building, Jeongjeon, shows the impressive façade of a courtyard of 150 meters long and 100 meters wide, but at the same it is placed in a good harmony with other auxiliary buildings. This testifies the greatest example in aesthetical background and indigenous views on ‘balance’, a concept that the Koreans have long treasured. Along with this cultural acknowledgement, a ceremony held for the kings and queens of the Joseon Period (also known as Jongmyo Jerye in Korean), is regularly held within the site, adding more significance to the reasons for preserving the area.

The main hall of the Jeongjeon complex has only rooms for twenty tablets, therefore an expansion was required. Henceforth, Yeongnyeongjeon Hall, meaning ‘Hall of Eternal Comfort’ was built and it follows the same designs and model of Jeongjeon but only the scale differs. One distinctive feature is that this annex has four larger chambers covered with a taller roof at the center, while the Jeongjeon has an uninterrupted roofline with chambers of the same size. As a result, the annex has a more comfortable feeling though not as majestic as the main hall, which is submerged in a stern atmosphere.

Another fact known about Yeongnyeongjeon is that the place is enshrined with kings and queens whose reign period was either overly too short, recorded with no notable achievements or the dethroned. Besides, tablets of Yeonsangun (r. 1495~1506) nor Gwanghaegun (r. 1575-1641) are not housed here, as they are judged to be disrespectful figures who did not practice filial duties and portrayed mischievous behaviors. Thus, this reemphasizes Jongmyo’s deep connection to Confucianism, the belief that established Joseon and the ancestors’ careful decision making in managing the royal ground.