How To Stop by The Jongmyo Shrine In Seoul, South Korea

The Jongmyo Shrine is a person of the most special points to see in Seoul because it attributes the spirit tablets of the deceased kings and queens of South Korea. It was crafted all through the Joseon interval and is however broadly applied currently to accomplish royal ancestral rites numerous periods a year.

In this guidebook, we’re going to show you every little thing you require to know about the Jongmyo Shrine and how to make the most of your stop by.

Our Seoul Encounter

Mark standing at a gate in the Jongmyo Shrine

We spent two months discovering Seoul in March 2023 and in the course of this vacation, we personally frequented the Jongmyo Shrine on a crisp neat early morning. This ancestral shine is an extremely critical aspect of Korean record so it was at the leading of our bucket list.

Regretably, you can not accessibility the inside of any buildings, but you can walk all-around the complete complex and stop at just about every position of desire in your personal time. We didn’t consider the guided tour, but we used the informational pamphlet and go through many indications to understand about the advanced. Go through more about us.

What Is The Jongmyo Shrine?

A stone walkway top to a beautiful developing beneath a cover of trees

The Jongmyo Shrine is one of the oldest Confucian royal shrines ever preserved. It’s home to around 80 spirit tablets from deceased kings and queens. Nowadays, this is a single of the most genuine shrines that signifies the legitimacy of the royal relatives in South Korea.

First concluded in September 1395, Jongmyo Shrine consists of two royal memorial halls. The major corridor is regarded as Jeongjeon although Yeongnyeongjeon was designed a few several years later on in 1421 as the auxiliary corridor.

All through the Joseon Dynasty from 1392-1910, a classic ritual identified as Jongmyo Jaeryeak was held on the 1st thirty day period of a seasonal improve as very well as the twelfth thirty day period of the lunar calendar year. This was a musical ceremony with instruments, dances and tunes.

But during the Japanese colonization from 1910-1945, these regular rituals were being not executed. However, soon after the liberation of Korea in August 1954, the rituals have since been performed on the property. And the Jongmyo Shrine was officially incorporated on the UNESCO Planet Heritage Record in 1995.

Customer Facts

The Jongmyo Shrine is situated on the japanese facet of Seoul instantly future to Changdeokkgung Palace. The best subway station for traveling to is Jongno 3-ga Station (line 1 exit 11, line 3 exit 8 and line 5 exit 8).

Handle: 157 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Spot: Google Maps

It opens at 9:00am each day of the week except Tuesdays when it’s shut. And based on the thirty day period of the yr, the shrine closes at distinct moments. Listed here are official hours of procedure all over the calendar year:

Feb to May + Sep to Oct: 9:00 – 18:00

Jun to Aug: 9:00 – 18:30

Nov to Jan: 9:00 – 17:30

Travel Idea: The previous admission to the shrine is just one hour right before closing so be absolutely sure to give you adequate time when checking out.

Our Royal Palace Move gave us entry into several attractions

The Royal Palace Go

We visited the Jongmyo Shrine with our Royal Palace Pass which we propose if you approach to stop by multiple palaces in Seoul. This pass fees 10,000 KRW (US $7.53) and it’s valid for three months from the date of obtain. But this go can only be ordered onsite at the selections below:

Gyeongbokgung

Changdeokgung

Changgyeonggung

Deoksugung

Jongmyo Shrine

If you really don’t have a pass, admission tickets for the Jongmyo Shrine price:

1,000 KRW (US$ .75) for older people

500 KRW (US$ .38) for youths ages 7-18

Visitors over the age of 65 and children beneath 7 will get no cost entry. Also, cost-free admission is available the last Wednesday of every single thirty day period due to the fact it’s Lifestyle Working day.

A totally free guided tour is made available on weekdays in numerous languages. Listed here are the situations:

Korean: 9:20, 10:20, 11:20, 12:20, 13:20, 14:20, 15:20, 16:20, 16:40 (Mar to Sep)

English: 10:00. 12:00, 14:00, 16:00

Japanese: 9:40, 11:40, 13:40, 15:40

Chinese: 11:00, 15:00

You can hope the guided tour of Jongmyo Shrine to final 60 minutes or you can effortlessly visit the grounds your self in less than an hour. Supplemental Korean tours are also made available on Saturdays and countrywide vacations.

Examine: What’s the very best palace in Seoul?

What To See At The Jongmyo Shrine

There are a number of essential structures you really should discover during your check out to completely understand the great importance of this sophisticated. Quite a few of the setting up served significant roles all through rituals. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss:

1. Jeongjeon Hall

In depth building at Jeongjeon Hall blocking most of the primary making

Jeongjeon is the key corridor of the Jongmyo Shrine. Following a king or queen passed absent, a a few year mourning time period was noticed at the royal palace, but then the deceased was introduced to Jeongjeon to be enshrined.

It is considered spirits enter through the south gate whilst the king and dancers enter through the west gate. This creating was intensely less than construction in the course of our go to, but we ended up however in a position to perspective the exterior of Jeongjeon.

There is an an expansive stone lawn with Gongsindang and Chilsadang houses nearby. Gongsindang is residence to the spirit tablets for the praiseworthy topics who served the king and Chilsadang includes the spirit tablets to the 7 gods of heaven.

2. Yeongnyeongjeon Hall 

Kristen at Yeongnyeongjeon Hall walking up the stone pathway

The Yeongnyeongjeon Corridor is recognised as the Hall of Everlasting Peace. It was developed as an annex to the main corridor and enshrines 4 generations of King Taejo’s ancestors. Yeongnyeongjeon practically interprets to “may the ancestors and descendants of the royal loved ones are living prolonged in peace.” Right now, there are 16 chambers housing 16 kings and 18 queens.

3. Akgongcheong

A lovely pavilion situated amongst the trees in the sophisticated

This building originally served as the courtroom musician’s pavilion and dressing area. It was a location the place musicians could rehearse music that would be performed throughout the rituals at Jongmyo Shrine. Equally Jeongjeon and Yeongnyeongjeon have their possess pavilion.

4. Jeonsacheong Place

Informational sign about the Jeonsacheong Region

This is a kitchen area in which food items was well prepared for the royal rituals. In this article you are going to find a raised stone desk, regarded as a Chanmakdan, which was used to inspect foods for festivities. Following being inspected, foods was then put on the alters close to the shrine.

5. Hyangdaecheong

Spirit preservation home at the Jongmyo Shrine

This building was at first made use of as a storage place for ritual papers, choices and incense. But currently you are going to see a duplicate of the spirit preservation home. There is a model foods giving and a few spirit tablets. A single exciting matter to be aware is the spirit tablets are positioned in buy of worth with the king’s pill put on the western aspect of the desk.

6. Jaegung Area

One particular of the buildings in the Jaegung Location

The Jaegung Location consists of 3 main structures together with Eojaesil, Sejajaesil, and Eomokyokcheong. These ended up frequently applied by the king and crown prince in buy to purify their bodies for upcoming rituals. Here are the features of the properties inside of the Jaegung Space:

Eojaesil – The king applied this constructing to continue being pure prior to a ritual. Inside there is a moveable throne subsequent to a folding display showcasing a beautiful peony.

Sejajaesil – The crown selling price used this making to continue being pure prior to a ritual. Within there is a 10 piece folding display with several ritual photos.

Eomokyokcheong – This tub facility was employed by both equally the king and crown prince just before royal rituals.

Vacation Suggestion: The peony is a flowering plant intended to symbolize wealth and electricity.

7. Jejeong Properly

Exterior view of the Jejeong Well

The Jejeong Well initially equipped the h2o throughout the full ritual course of action. It was made use of to put together food stuff and animals as perfectly as clean those people who took component in the ceremonies.

The Morgan Summary

The Jongmyo Shrine is a exclusive complicated that showcases more than 500 decades of Korean background. This is an significant position the place the Korean royal people done rituals to honor their ancestors.

Is the Jongmyo Shrine worthy of it?

Sure, the Jongmyo Shrine is worth going to since it is 1 of oldest and ideal preserved Confucian royal shrines in all of Asia. This shrine gives site visitors the probability to learn about the record of the Joseon Dynasty as effectively as the royal family of South Korea. If you’re a background buff, this shrine is a prevent you ought to not overlook in Seoul.

Sad to say, our Seoul itinerary did not allow us to pay a visit to all through a time when the guided tours were being supplied. Whilst you can study some information and facts from the indicators posted during the elaborate, we identified them to be very restricting. Up coming time, we’ll be sure to make it for the guided tour.

Our Jongmyo Shrine Pics

We enjoyed our check out to this shrine and took many images. In this article are a handful of of them so you know exactly what to expect for your stop by:

Kristen going for walks up to a gate on elaborate grounds

You will see a lot of displays in the course of the complete grounds

Sections of the shrine are divided by intricate partitions

Exterior see of Yeongnyeongjeon Hall 

Kristen strolling up a ramp to in the intricate

A significant statue of Wolnam Lee Sang-Jae is identified close to the entrance

Vivid flowers in bloom during spring in Seoul

A smaller pavilion within in close proximity to the larger sized halls

Brown wood sign discussing the rituals that continue to get location on the grounds

Beautiful gardens are scattered in the course of the spot

There were incredibly few website visitors at the Jongmyo Shrine in the course of our trip

Kristen strolling up to the gate of Jeongjeon Corridor

Back again of the admission gate for the Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul

A purple and green developing with an intricate roof

Stone walkways guide the way about the whole advanced

Our Popular Seoul Guides

Want additional Seoul content material? Head in excess of to our South Korea Vacation Guides to take a look at the extremely most effective of Seoul and further than.

We hope this tutorial showcasing the very best things to do at the Jongmyo Shrine helps with planning your visit to Seoul!

Please allow us know if you have any questions about traveling to this shrine or South Korea in the remarks under.

Joyful Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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Mark and Kristen Morgan are vacation, mountaineering and pictures authorities. In excess of the final 6 yrs touring comprehensive time, they have explored extra than 40 international locations and 30 US states.
Exactly where Are Those Morgans has been featured in United states of america Now, Gestalten, Get Your Information, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Study additional about us.

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