Ian Festival Held Privately on the 5th
The Cultural Heritage Administration's Royal Tombs and Relics Headquarters announced on the 4th that the relocation ceremony of the spirit tablets of kings and queens enshrined in Jongmyo Jeongjeon (National Treasure No. 227) will be held privately on the 5th. For the renovation and repair of Jongmyo Jeongjeon, all forty-nine spirit tablets in each chamber will be temporarily enshrined at the old Seonwonjeon Hall in Changdeokgung Palace. A spirit tablet is a wooden piece inscribed with the name of a deceased person.
This is the first time in 151 years that the spirit tablets are being moved. In the 7th year of King Gojong's reign (1870), a similar relocation ceremony was conducted for the renovation and repair of Jongmyo Jeongjeon and Yeongnyeongjeon. This event is organized by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Jongmyo Jerye Preservation Society. The ceremony proceeds in the order of a ritual announcing the relocation of the spirit tablets, the relocation itself, and the enshrinement. Ninety-eight people participate, including nineteen officiants, forty-nine attendants, and eight outdoor ritual officers.
The old Seonwonjeon Hall in Changdeokgung Palace, where the spirit tablets are being moved, is a building where the royal portraits (Eojin) of Joseon Dynasty kings were enshrined and rituals were performed. During the relocation in the 7th year of King Gojong's reign, the spirit tablets from Jongmyo Jeongjeon and Yeongnyeongjeon were temporarily enshrined there. They were dispersed to five locations including Injeongjeon, Seonwonjeon, and Yangjidang in Changdeokgung Palace, as well as Myeongjeongjeon and Munjeongjeon in Changgyeonggung Palace, before returning to Jongmyo two months later.
This time, the spirit tablets will be temporarily enshrined for about one year before being returned. This is due to the renovation work on Jongmyo Jeongjeon, which will continue until December next year. The work includes reinstalling the foundation and stone terraces, replacing decayed materials and preservation treatment, and repairing the roof with Yangseong Barum to address various issues caused by aging.
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