Jongmyo Shrine is a ritual hall for the kings of Joseon, the foundation of the Republic of Korea. A memorial service is held once a year with the gods of the kings. Located in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, it is close to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, and Gwanghwamun. Currently, construction is underway to create a connecting passage with Changdeokgung Palace and Changgyeonggung Palace, and once the construction is completed, it can be moved directly from Jongmyo to Changdeokgung Palace and Changgyeonggung Palace.
The entrance fee to Jongmyo Shrine in 2021 is 1,000 won. If you are planning to tour the five major palaces at once, it is also a good option to purchase a 10,000 won unified tour ticket. For reference, in the case of pregnant women, free admission to the five major ancient palaces is provided up to one companion. I knew the information after I left Jongmyo. In any case, the new policy will be implemented from last year, so pregnant women's families must enjoy the benefits. Jongmyo is closed every Tuesday, not Monday. If you pay 1,000 won for admission, you can get a ticket to the site, which you can sneak through the entrance on the left side and show it to the staff.
Due to the coronavirus situation, all travelers who visit Jongmyo must wear masks. It is recommended to use the hand sanitizer provided at the entrance once. Although it is Sunday, it is very quiet near Jongmyo entrance, perhaps because it was found in the early morning. Today's weather is good, so by noon, quite a few travelers will come.
Go straight through the entrance of Jongmyo and look around the building on the right. Jongmyo Shrine is relatively small, so you can look at the map at the entrance and move. Go straight with your back to the entrance, but you can draw a line counterclockwise. If you move along those lines, you will naturally look around the power outage and Yeongnyeongjeon, which are located in the deepest place, and return to the entrance.
The first building I met was the Gongmin Wangsindang. King Gongmin was the 31st king of Goryeo, famous for his great efforts to establish the country that was dizzy at the time. The memory of learning in history (Korean history) class in school comes to mind vaguely. King Gongmin is remembered as a king who used his power not only to reclaim the territory but also to reform various fields. There are Mangmyoru and Hyangdaecheong buildings around Gongminwang Shrine.
It will enter Hyangdaecheong, which is located just above the building of Gongminwang Shrine. A small pond and Jungyeonji are located right in front of Hyangdaecheong Hall. As expected, it was early in the morning and the interior of the Hyangdaecheong building was pleasant. Inside the building of Hyangdaecheong is a reproduction of the relics of the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Travelers can stand outside the building and peek inside. Unfortunately, it was impossible to enter the building inside.
If you keep moving north, you'll find a jagung building. This building is located in the southeast of the truce village, where kings of all time prepared ancestral rites. Inside the palace, there are a fish room where the king stayed preparing for the memorial service, a crown prince room where the crown prince waited, and a building where the king took a bath, facing each other. As I entered the palace, travelers began to catch my eye one by one. There are young parents with children, and there are also people who are taking part in the event.
Inside the Jaegung building, a model is installed to easily understand the situation at that time. The king's mannequin was seen in the fish room, and related artifacts (or models) were also seen inside the crown chamber and the building of the Fish Bath Hall. Since the palace is basically shaped like a m-shaped structure, travelers can look around with the idea of a big circle. If you've seen all the structures, it's time to meet the highlights of Jongmyo tour.
Jongmyojeon Hall is the place where the kings and queens of Joseon have been enshrined. If you turn your back on the south gate and face the blackout, it is about 100 meters from east to west. Jongmyojeon Hall consists of 1 to 19 rooms horizontally, and houses the nobility from King Taejo, the founder of Joseon, to King Sunjong, the last king of Joseon. I knew the internal structure because I often saw it in the media. It feels new to find it in person.
Unfortunately, the power outage in Jongmyo is currently under renovation. Therefore, it is only allowed to enter through the south gate, and the east and west gates are tightly closed. And the corners of the blackout are under renovation. Therefore, if you want to take a commemorative photo here, you'd better cut off both corners. After mounting wide-angle lenses and taking a few photos against the backdrop of the blackout, they rush out.
This time, it will head to Yeongnyeongjeon Hall, which is located northwest of the armistice. Yeongnyeongjeon Hall is divided into rooms from 1 to 16 where the ancestral rites are held and the ancestral rites of the king and queen, who are not served in the Jeongjeon Hall. It feels small compared to the blackout, so even a wide-angle lens is enough to fit in the frame. If you've looked around all the way to Yeongnyeongjeon Hall, which is located in the deepest part of Jongmyo Shrine, you can follow the trail and head back to the entrance located in the south.
It is meaningful to look around the buildings inside Jongmyo, but it is also fun to walk slowly along the trail. Although the early heat wave came, the inside of Jongmyo is relatively cool because there are many dense trees. You can relax and spend time sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree. If you are looking for a relatively quiet and pleasant Seoul date course, how about an old palace outing? Among the five ancient palaces, Jongmyo is the most quiet.
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