Jongmyo Shrine is a religious complex dedicated to the rulers of the Joseon Dynasty, housing the tablets of kings and queens. Jongmyo Confucian Shrine has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
The Jongmyo Shrine was completed in 1395, during the reign of the first king of the Joseon Dynasty (King Taejo). Also destroyed in 1592 during the Japanese invasion, the site was rebuilt shortly afterwards and then expanded over time to accommodate the various commemorative tablets of successive rulers.
These tablets, called " shinju ," on which the names of these illustrious leaders are inscribed, serve to house the spirits of the deceased. The shrine is now a haven of peace, mostly covered by forest, forming a large 19-hectare park in the heart of Seoul, just south of the Changdeokgung Royal Palace.
This article is part of my series on Seoul. If you're planning a complete itinerary, you can find the detailed 4-day Seoul program here.
Practical information
Getting to Jongmyo Shrine
Just like Gyeongbokgung Palace to the west or Changdeokgung Palace just to the north, the shrine is located close to several public transportation options. The visit is also ideally combined with Changdeokgung Palace, since the two sites are literally neighbors, separated only by a road that is about to be covered (work in progress).
Address : 157 Jong-ro, Hunjeong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
You can find the location below on Google Maps, but if you plan to use the local navigation app Naver Map, it's this way (it's in Korean by default…):
There are several stations nearby, the latter are at distances varying between 600 m and 1 km, which remains reachable on foot. One station is however only 300 m away, making it the main access point by metro (see below).
This is to let you know that if you'd like to walk a bit to get to the shrine, that's possible. For example, you could get off at Eujiro 3-ga Station, walk along the Cheonggyecheon promenade, and then continue to the shrine . For those who prefer a more direct route, there's a station right next to the main entrance of Jongmyo Shrine.
Stop at Jongno 3-ga station in all cases, but you can arrive from three different lines:
- If you arrive from the line 1, head towards the exit 11
- If you arrive from the line 3, head towards the exit 8
- If you arrive from the line 5, head towards the exit 8
Its central location means that there is plenty of choice when it comes to bus numbers passing in front of the sanctuary. In addition to the 12 and city tour buses, which stop at different bus stations, depending on your starting location you can take the following buses: 101, 103, 143, 150, 201, 260, 262, 270, 271A, 271B, 370, 720, 721, 7212 or 9301.
For example, buses 103 or 210 depart from Seoul Station.
You need to stop at the bus stop 서울특별시 종로4가 (but I imagine it's also indicated in English, so logically the Jongmyo stop).
Jongmyo Shrine Hours and Fees
A quick aside to mention the fact of planning your visits a minimum. I specify this because visits to the main sites like those mentioned above (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung), do not have a common weekly closing date, you could find yourself in the same situation as us.
Note that originally, we had actually planned to visit the sanctuary, then, in the process, to go to the Changdeokgung palace right next door. But the latter is closed on Mondays, so we said to ourselves that we would do that on Tuesday…. the day the sanctuary is closed…
So, as planned, we weren't able to visit both in quick succession. And who says change of plan, says loss of time. Certainly, to a lesser extent, but still, the time to decide what to do instead and how to fit in the undone visit, that counts. Fortunately we had some leeway given the total time spent in Seoul.
Moreover, we didn't even know it (I just learned it while writing this article) but since it is necessary to do the tour with a guide, you might prefer the Saturday option which allows you to visit freely.
As for us, we got lucky, because the good news is that we ended up doing the visit the very next day, a Wednesday. And that was perfect for us, because it was the last Wednesday of the month . Not only is the visit free of charge on that day, but it's also free of charge.
Jongmyo Shrine Map
To help you find your way around the directions I'll give below, here's a map of the Jongmyo Shrine . I've indicated the numbers corresponding to the photos and their associated explanations. This will only be useful if you happen to stumble upon it while exploring on your own, and since I like to write comprehensive articles, the information is there just in case.
1. Oedaemun Gate (main entrance)
2. Spirit Path
3. Jeongjeon (Main Pavilion)
4. Yeongnyeongjeon (Pavilion of Eternal Peace)
5. Hyangdaecheong
6. Jaejung
7. Jeonsacheong
8. Akgongcheong Jeongjeon
9. Akgongcheong Yeongnyeongjeon
A Brief History of Jongmyo Shrine
The Jongmyo Shrine was built in 1394 by King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, when the capital was moved to what is now Seoul. The main hall, called the Jeongjeon, is over 100 meters long, making it one of the longest wooden structures in Asia at the time. It was originally built with seven spiritual chambers. These were intended to house the Confucian tablets of the kings and queens, preserved according to the principles of Confucianism.
There was a three-year mourning period after the death of a king or queen before a memorial tablet for the deceased could be brought to Jongmyo. The shrine was expanded whenever space was lacking, as long as the Joseon Dynasty lasted.
In summary, here are the key dates to remember:
1395 : The construction of the main pavilion, Jeongjeon, is completed. It then consists of 7 spiritual chambers.
1421 : The annex building, Yeongnyeongjeon (pavilion of eternal peace), is built, adding 6 additional spiritual chambers to the site.
1592 : the sanctuary will not escape the devastation of the Japanese invasion.
1608 : Jeongjeon was rebuilt, expanding to 11 spiritual chambers. The Yeongnyeongjeon pavilion, also rebuilt, was expanded to 10 chambers. Fortunately, the tablets had been saved from the fire.
1667 : Yeongnyeongjeon is enlarged with 2 additional chambers, reaching 12 spiritual chambers.
1726 : Jeongjeon is expanded to include 15 spiritual chambers.
1836 : The pavilions underwent their most recent expansion. Jeongjeon increased to 19 spiritual chambers, its current number, when Yeongnyeongjeon was enlarged to include 16 spiritual chambers. This doubled the initial capacity.
1995 : The Confucian sanctuary of Jongmyo is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
That same year also saw the addition of the annual ritual called Jongmyo Jerye, added as Oral and Intangible Heritage by UNESCO, along with the accompanying ritual music, Jongmyo jeryeak.
Every year, on the first Sunday of May , one can still admire this ritual established to honor the ancestors. An important ceremony, which was formerly conducted by the king himself.
Visit the different structures of the Jongmyo sanctuary
Although it's unlikely you'll be guided, and this site, formerly part of the nearby Changdeokgung Palace , isn't particularly large, a brief overview of what to expect is always helpful. This summary might also be useful if you're not very comfortable with English.
Afterwards, I will admit that we skimmed over the site a bit. As it was our last day, we had already had our fill of historical sites. In addition, the Jongmyo sanctuary has an architecture that is considered quite simple. The pretty garden surrounding it is certainly pleasant but we still had a few visits to make, so we didn't linger there. Which means that there are quite a few photos missing here to illustrate the different places that make up this sacred place.
1. Oedaemun Gate (Main Entrance)
In our case, we arrived at the gate after walking along the Cheonggyecheon promenade for a while and then passing through the Sewoon Arcade shopping center. We then had a view of the shrine and the mountain behind, at the foot of which is the Changdeokgung Palace.
Near the Oedaemun Gate (the main gate) is a stone tablet called "Hamabi", meaning the "tablet of dismounting from the horse". This implies that anyone, including kings, must dismount from their horse (or palanquin if applicable) when they reach the main entrance and pass through the gate on foot as a sign of respect to the ancestors.
2. Spirit Path
As soon as you pass through the sanctuary gate, you'll see a paved path in the middle. If you pay even the slightest attention, you'll notice signs placed along it, warning you not to walk on it. Your first thought might be that this was the path of kings, and well, almost, but not quite. Reading the sign, one can quite seriously translate it as: “ Do not walk on this path. It is reserved for spirits .”
Yes, you are in a sanctuary, where the souls of the deceased rest, including kings (and queens). So, indirectly, it is indeed a path dedicated to noble sovereigns who are no longer of this world, not those who are called upon to tread the soil of this sanctuary, particularly to preside over the Jongmyo Jerye ceremony (also known as Jongmyo Daeje ).
3. Jeongjeon (Main Pavilion)
Three distinct buildings can be identified. First, the central pavilion. Jeongjeon is the main hall and most important structure of the Jongmyo Shrine. It houses the memorial tablets of 19 Joseon kings and queens. At 109 meters long, the building is considered the longest single-piece wooden structure in the world.
Three gates provide access to the courtyard. The south gate was believed to be the one through which spirits could enter and leave. The eastern gate, through which people entered, was reserved for the king and the officials accompanying the ritual. The western gate, being near the Akgongcheong pavilion , was reserved for performers such as musicians and dancers participating in the Jongmyo Jaerye ceremony.
On either side of the long gate leading to the central pavilion, you have two annexes along the perimeter wall surrounding the main hall. On the left is the small shrine of Chilsadang and on the right, that of Gongsindang.
Chilsadang
Chilsadang is a place of prayer and worship. It contains spiritual tablets dedicated to the seven gods of heaven. These gods enshrined here include the gods of the gates, including the entrances and exits, all the halls, kitchens and other rooms, and even the roads. I won't hide from you that this is a translation found on the Seoul Guide website, and that they also refer to those who died of diseases, but hey, we're talking about the gods here, right?
Officials came here to pray to the gods, hoping that royal and state affairs would proceed without difficulty or problems. These rituals to the seven gods of heaven involved both traditional religious practices and those specific to Confucian philosophy.
Gongsindang
Gongsindang (or Hall of Meritorious Officials) is the location of the tablets for those who helped the kings and queens enshrined at Jongmyo Shrine. There are 83 of them in this building, originally built with three rooms. It has since been expanded to sixteen rooms.
4. Yeongnyeongjeon (Pavilion of Eternal Peace)
Yeongnyeongjeon today houses 34 tablets spread across 16 spiritual chambers, including four generations of King Taejo's ancestors.
The overall impression remains the same as with the main hall of Jeongjeon. There are three entrance gates, a large raised courtyard covered with stone slabs, and a long wooden building housing the spiritual chambers. The only notable difference is that the roof does not form a continuous line, but the central part is slightly raised. And in front of this area is not a staircase as in the Jeongjeon hall, but three sets of steps side by side.
5. Hyangdaecheong
After passing the pool, which I was taking pictures of, we walked along this building without really taking a look at it. We skipped it in favor of going to the essentials. But for your information, Hyangdaecheong is a storage room that contained important supplies, such as paper, incense, and offerings used during rituals.
The day before one of these rites, the king would send an official to Hyangdaecheong to collect and prepare everything needed for the ceremony. It was therefore also here that the officials would gather and wait before performing the ancestral rituals.
6. Jaejung
Jaegung consists of three buildings, adjoining the main Jongmyo hall. These were used by the king and crown prince to prepare for ancestral rituals.
The king and crown prince would enter through the main gate and purify their bodies and minds, each in their own chamber, then proceed to the Jeongjeon Pavilion through the west gate to perform the rites.
Eojaesil
Eojaesil, the central building, is where the king prepared himself before the ancestral rituals at Jongmyo Shrine. Inside Eojaesil is a portable throne or compact chair that was used to move the king around the shrine. There is also a screen used on special occasions decorated with peony, seen as a symbol of wealth and honor.
On the right side of the building is normally a model of Emperor Gojong, who is wearing ceremonial clothing after proclaiming the establishment of the Daehan Empire in 1897. There are two types of ceremonial clothing, that of the emperor with 12 ornaments and that of the king with 9 ornaments.
On the day of our visit, however, the mannequin and the chair were not in Eojaesil but in the building on the west side, the one called Eomokyokcheong.
Sejajaesil
Sejajaesil was the equivalent of Eojaesil but for the crown prince, who made his own preparations there. Inside this room is a ten-piece screen depicted with vessels used for rituals.
Eomokyokcheong
Eomokyokcheong was the room used by the king as well as the crown prince to perform the purifying bath. Inside Eomokyokcheong, there is normally a palanquin that was used by the king to move around the shrine.
7. Jeonsacheong
These are the kitchens of the shrine. This is where the dishes and foods used for the rites were prepared. Right next to it is the Jejeong Well. Jejeong simply means "ritual well."
It was used to provide water before and during rituals at Jongmyo Shrine. It was also the water from this well that was used to purify the participants in the ceremony, including the king and crown prince. This well is located next to the inspection tables of Chanmakdan and Seongsaengwi.
The Chanmakdan is a raised stone table. As soon as the food was prepared in the adjacent kitchen, it was placed on top of it so that the food could be examined and the dishes to be used in the ceremonies could be properly prepared. Once inspected and approved, the food was then placed on altars around the shrine where it would be used for rituals and ceremonies.
Nearby is another inspection table known as a Seongsaengwi . This one was used to inspect animals such as cows and pigs before rituals, because yes, these rituals once involved animal sacrifices…
This part being located behind in the north corner to the right of the main pavilion, we did not see it.
Akgongcheong (8 and 9)
You can see two small annex pavilions, not far from each main pavilion, Jeongjeon and Yeongnyeongjeon, outside the walls surrounding them. These were the pavilions of the court musicians. They served as dressing rooms, and where the musicians rehearsed songs that would be played during rituals at Jongmyo Shrine.
What to do around Jongmyo Shrine?
- Gyeongbokgung Palace
- Ikseondong Hanok Village
- Insadong Neighborhoods
- Changdeokgung Palace
- Changgyeonggung Palace
- Gwangjang Market
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