| What is it? |
Jongmyo (종묘) is a Confucian shrine where the ancestral kings and queens of the Joseon dynasty are remembered! |
| What makes it historical? |
King Taejo, founder of the Joseon Dynasty, ordered this shrine to his ancestors built in 1394! At the time, the main hall, or Jeongjeon, was the longest building in Asia! It was designed to house the spirit tablets of Joseon kings and queens. Spirit tablets, in case you were wondering, are wooden tablets with carved names and titles to represent the deceased royal, and in each tablet are six holes where the spirit can live! There are 49 of these spirit tablets in the Jongjeon, and 34 more in the nearby Yeongnyeongjeon!
Rituals and offerings are still made here five times a year to honor the ancestors. Called Jongmyo Jerye, they incorporate food and music to please the spirits of Korea’s founding parents. Korea is the only place in the world that still conducts these Confucian rituals, only briefly interrupted by Japanese occupation in the mid 1500s! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? |
HERE’S HOW:
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
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| Where is this place? |
157 Jong-ro
Jongno 1(il).2(i).3(sam).4(sa), Jongno-gu, Seoul
South Korea
From Busan: ~246mi (396km) — 4.1hrs
From Daegu: ~179mi (289km) — 3hrs
From Incheon: ~25mi (41km) — 0.5hrs
From Seoul: ~1mi (2km) — 0.1hrs |
| When should I go? |
Tours run Wednesday through Monday from 9:00 AM until 4:20 PM (5:00 between March and September)! You can only visit this site without a tour on Saturdays and the last Wednesday of the month! |
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