On Korean Food Day, Taejo Yi Seong-gye Sells Silver Grass at Geonwonneung

This Year, Visitors Also Participate

The Cultural Heritage Administration's Office of Royal Palaces and Tombs announced on the 27th that on the 6th of next month, the Korean traditional Cold Food Festival (Hansik), a 'Cheongwan Yecho-ui' ceremony will be held at Taejo Geonwonneung within Donggureung in Guri, Gyeonggi Province. This is a ritual of cutting the silver grass on the burial mound. It has been performed annually on Hansik since 2010, the year after the Joseon Royal Tombs were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Geonwonneung is the only Joseon royal tomb covered with silver grass on its burial mound. This is due to the last will of Taejo Yi Seong-gye (1335?1408). He wished to be buried in his hometown, Hamheung. Unable to fulfill this wish, Taejong (1367?1422) brought silver grass from Hamheung and planted it on the burial mound when constructing his father's tomb. Therefore, unlike other tombs covered with grass, the burial mound of Geonwonneung is densely covered with sedge (sacho), which is the practice of covering and grooming the tomb mound with sedge.

The Office of Royal Palaces and Tombs usually mows the grass at Joseon royal tombs up to seven times from May to September. However, the silver grass at Geonwonneung is cut only during Hansik. After cutting the silver grass, a Goyu-je (告由祭), a ritual to notify the removal of the grass, and an Eumbok-rye (飮福禮), a ceremony to taste the ritual food, are performed. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the ceremony was simplified over the past three years, but this year visitors can also participate. Applications can be made on the Joseon Royal Tombs website from the 28th of this month until the 4th of next month. The maximum number of participants is six adults.