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Jongmyo
EntityQ490497· pop 44· linked from 215 articles

Jongmyo () is a Confucian royal ancestral shrine in the Jongno District of Seoul, South Korea. It was originally built during the Joseon period (1392–1897) for memorial services for deceased kings and queens. According to UNESCO, the shrine is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established in the 14th century. Such shrines existed during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period (57–668), but these have not survived. The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995.

Key facts

Historic site.name
Jongmyo Shrine
Historic site.image
Jeongjeon, Jongmyo (Autumn, 2012).jpg
Historic site.caption
Jeongjeon of Jongmyo Shrine, prior to its restoration in 2020
Historic site.type
Confucian royal ancestral shrine
Historic site.mapframe
yes
Historic site.mapframe zoom
13
Historic site.location
157 Jongno, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Historic site.area
200,545 m2
Historic site.built
From 1394
Historic site.governing_body
Jongmyo Management Office, Cultural Heritage Administration
Historic site.owner
Government of South Korea
Historic site.designation1
WHS
Historic site.designation1_offname
Jongmyo Shrine
Historic site.designation1_type
Cultural
Historic site.designation1_criteria
iv
Historic site.designation1_date
1995
Historic site.designation1_number
738
Historic site.designation1_free1name
Region

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Area
19.4
Official website
jm.cha.go.kr
Image
Jongmyo-Jeongjeon.jpg
Show 3 more facts
Commons category
Jongmyo
Commons gallery
Jongmyo
native label
宗廟
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~7 min read

Article

7 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Description
  • Rituals and performances
  • See also
  • References
  • Bibliography
  • External links

Jongmyo () is a Confucian royal ancestral shrine in the Jongno District of Seoul, South Korea. It was originally built during the Joseon period (1392–1897) for memorial services for deceased kings and queens. According to UNESCO, the shrine is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established in the 14th century. Such shrines existed during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period (57–668), but these have not survived. The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995.

Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung lie to the north of Jongmyo. Yulgok-ro separated Jongmyo from the palaces from 1932 to 2019, until Yulgok-ro was turned into a road tunnel and the connection between Jongmyo and the palaces restored. The main buildings of Jongmyo were constructed in October 1394 when Taejo, founder and first king of Joseon, moved the capital to Hanseong (present-day Seoul). The shrine was destroyed by fire in the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), then rebuilt in early 1600s.

Gallery (2)

On the map

2 mapped locations

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