Joseon royal family's ancestral ritual 'Jongmyo Daeje' to carry out in public for the first time in three years in Yeongnyeongjeon

▲ This file photo shows Jongmyo Daeje held in 2019. (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration, shows Jongmyo Daeje held in 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, April 24 (Yonhap) -- 'Jongmyo Daeje' will be held in pulic for the first time in three years, which has been held without audience for the last two years due to the spread of COVID-19.

The National Intangible Heritage Center announced on the 24th that they will hold Jongmyo Daeje with Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation and Jongmyo Daeje committee at 2 p.m. on the 1st of next month. The ritual will be held in Jongmyo Shrine's Yeongnyeongjeon, Seoul, with 150 viewers participated.

As Jeongjeon, the central building of Jongmyo Shrine is under repair, this year's ritual will be held in Yeongnyeongjeon. Other than Jeongjeon, a national treasure, Yeongnyeongjeon keeps mortuary tablets of kings and queens which moved due to lack of space in Jeongjeon.

The National Intangible Heritage Center will hold the ritual with few people, considering the size of Yeongnyeongjeon. Visitors can reserve on the event at 2 p.m. of 26th this month on Naver Booking system.

Those who miss online reservation can watch the ritual process through big screen installed at Jeongjeon and Yeongnyeongjeon, respectively.

On the ritual day, royal carriage parade will run through Sejongno intersection and Jongno to Jongmyo Shrine, departing from Gwanghwamun around 11 a.m., prior to the ritual.

Jongmyo Daeje is a solemn ritual performed by the king, following Confucian procedures in Jongmyo Shrine, which keeps mortuary tablets of kings of queens of Joseon Dynasty. It is also the biggest and important ritual which royal families of Joseon Dynasty held.

Jongmyo Daeje is held annually after its restoration in 1969, and was inscribed in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, as the name of 'Royal ancestral ritual in the Jongmyo shrine and its music.'

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

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