▲ This photo, provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration, shows Myeongjeongmun Gate of Changgyeonggung Palace. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)▲ This photo, provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration, shows the Myeongjeongmun Gate of Changgyeonggung Palace before dancheong. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

▲ This photo, provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration, shows the Daeungjeon Hall of Cheongnyongsa Temple, Anseong. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

 

SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- While the legacy of Myeongjeongmun Gate of Changgyeonggung Palace was cut off due to the chemical sediments, it has been newly decorated with a traditional dancheong (refers to Korean traditional decorative coloring on wooden buildings and artifacts for the purpose of style). 

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 3rd that it would promote the traditional dancheong project until December for the national treasure, " Myeongjeongmun Gate of Changgyeonggung Palace."

While traditional dancheong was attempted for the Sungnyemun Gate, it was severely damaged by an arson attack in 2008. Accordingly, the Cultural Heritage Administration has been conducting research and the trial application of the traditional dancheong since 2014.

It is the first time since the traditional dancheong is being used since the restoration of the Sungnyemun gate among the royal cultural heritages which includes the royal palaces and tombs.

The existing Myeongjeongmun Gate was destroyed during the Japanese Invasions of Korea, but was restored in 1616. Since 2018, only the dancheong work of the parts that have been repaired and replaced has remained. It is known that the Myeongjeongmun Dancheong construction has been carried out six times over the past 400 years. The last period of dancheong was in 1975, and chemical pigments were used at that time.

This time, the original pattern of Myeongjeongmun gate, which was confirmed by the dancheong recording project in 2020, will be restored. However, considering the history, some dancheong made in modern times will be preserved based on the review of the experts.

Traditional dancheong using natural pigments and adhesives virtually disappeared in the 1980s amid the flow of industrialization. Although the Sungnyemun Gate was restored using traditional materials and techniques to its fullest, it was criticized saying that it was poorly constructed as it was done without sufficient research.

Ever since then, research on traditional dancheong has been conducted with aims including the restoration of the manufacturing method of traditional pigments and adhesives, along with making pigment quality standards. Since 2018, pilot projects have been carried out on about 20 buildings including Daeungjeon Hall of Cheongnyongsa Temple, Anseong and Samilmun Gate of Tapgol Park in Seoul.

The Cultural Heritage Administration completed a specification document containing detailed information that are necessary for the construction related to the traditional dancheong last year, and has provided the quantity information of activities, which allows one to calculate the construction costs, on the 1st. The certification criteria for excellent traditional pigments will also be announced within this year.

"Traditional dancheong is less durable than dancheong using chemical pigments, but because it uses natural materials, it blends well with the natural environment and is more beautiful," an official from the Cultural Heritage Administration said. "We will expand the traditional dancheong business to revive cultural assets as close to their original appearance as much as possible."

 

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Haemin Kim.)

 

 

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