Landmark national treasure restoration to be marked with traditional ceremony

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Landmark national treasure restoration to be marked with traditional ceremony

Published: 18 Apr. 2025, 07:51 Updated: 18 Apr. 2025, 07:57

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Park Hyun-ju, director of the Hanbok Technology Promotion Institute, inspects a palanquin in an office in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on April 2. [JUN MIN-KYU]

National Treasure Jeongjeon, the Main Hall of Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, will unveil its restored grandeur on April 20 after five years of extensive renovation.

On the same day, 49 royal ancestral tablets of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) kings and queens, temporarily housed at the former Seonwon Hall in Changdeok Palace in the same district, will be ceremoniously returned to the sinsil, or spirit chambers, of Jeongjeon.

In the Joseon era, the relocation of these tablets was termed ian when moved out and hwanan when returned. The upcoming Hwanan ceremony marks the first such event in 155 years, the last occurring in 1870 during King Gojong's (1852-1919) seventh year of reign.

The tablets will be transported in meticulously reconstructed palanquins, crafted based on detailed studies from the "Joseon Wangsil Uigwe," otherwise known as the Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty, which is a collection of books that recorded important royal events throughout ancient Korean history.

At a traditional palanquin workshop in Gwangtan-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi, on a recent Wednesday, master craftsman Lee Kang-yeon was diligently refining the roof of a palanquin. Each palanquin comprises walls, a roof and supporting poles.

Master craftsman Lee Kang-yeon holds up a wooden piece of a palanquin at his workshop in Paju, Gyeonggi on April 2. [JUN MIN-KYU]

"Beyond the palanquins, numerous ceremonial items require preparation," said Lee, as the workshop was filled with the fresh scent of sawdust. “With tight deadlines, we've been working tirelessly without breaks.”

Crafting the wooden body of the palanquin is merely the initial phase. Once the unpainted structure is complete, it undergoes meticulous lacquering to enhance durability and sheen. The roof and other parts are adorned with dancheong, traditional multicolored paintwork. Subsequent steps involve decorating with nigeum, gold powder mixed with glue, to create intricate patterns. Additionally, juryeom, beaded curtains, are crafted to drape on all sides for privacy.

Esteemed artisans collaborated on this project: lacquerwork by Park Gui-rae, a mother-of-pearl craftsman recognized as Gangwon’s intangible cultural asset; dancheong by Lee Jeong-gi, a nationally designated instrument maker; and juryeom by Park Seong-chun, a bamboo blind craftsman from Damyang, South Jeolla, designated as a Jeollanam-do intangible cultural asset.

The entire process spanned over five months.

Juryeom, beaded curtains, that decorate palanquins [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

Park Hyun-ju, director of the Hanbok Technology Promotion Institute stands next to a palanquin in an office in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on April 2. [JUN MIN-KYU]

Three distinct types of palanquins will be utilized in the hwanan ceremony: sinnyeon for transporting spirit tablets outside the palace, sinyeo for movements within the palace and hyangjeongja for carrying incense burners and related items. Among these, the sinnyeon is the largest, capable of accommodating a person and, when roofed, weighs approximately 90 kilograms (198.4 pounds).

Just before the roof was attached, a nearly completed sinnyeon could be seen at another workshop in Deogyang District, Goyang, Gyeonggi. The palanquin's red lacquer gleamed like armor, complemented by green silk juryeom gracefully hanging on all sides.

The pillars featured cloud motifs, while the lower panels showcased gold-painted depictions of auspicious animals such as dragons, tigers, elephants and the mythical Korean unicorn-lion haetae. Once the roof is added, dragon head ornaments will adorn each corner.

Parts for palanquin spread out on the floor of master craftsman Lee Kang-yeon's workshop in Paju, Gyeonggi, on April 2. [JUN MIN-KYU]

"Transporting the palanquins between stages required vibration-free vehicles, moving them to Wonju for lacquering and Gyeongju for dancheong and nigeum work." said Park Hyun-ju, director of the Hanbok Technology Promotion Institute. "Here, we are finalizing by attaching juryeom and installing floor mats inside."

With a doctorate in cultural heritage studies and four decades dedicated to hanbok — traditional Korean clothing — research and restoration, Park has been involved in the preservation and restoration of Jongmyo Shrine and palace interiors since 2009. She oversaw the palanquin project, collaborating with artisans and conducting foundational research into historical documents and artifacts.

The project drew upon the book "Jongmyo Yeongnyeongjeon Jeungsu Dogam Uigwe" from King Heonjong's era (1835–1836) and the "Ihwanan Banchado" painting included in the end — a painting depicting the ceremonies — as primary references.

"Deciphering terms like jajeoknokpi was challenging,” said Park. “Through extensive research, we identified it as 'purple-dyed deer hide' and recreated the decorative straps accordingly.”

″Ihwanan Banchado″ depicts the Hwanan ceremony, where 49 royal ancestral tablets of Joseon Dynasty kings and queens are relocated. [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

Few royal palanquins from the Joseon Dynasty have survived. This endeavor referenced existing examples: an eoyeon — king's palanquin — and a sinyeo housed at the National Palace Museum, and another eoyeon and hyangjeongja at Gyeonggijeon Shrine in Jeonju, North Jeolla,

The hwanan ceremony will feature 28 palanquins — nine sinnyeon, 10 sinyeo and nine hyangjeongja. Due to constraints in manpower and budget, only one of each type was newly crafted, with the remainder sourced through appropriate rentals. The newly made palanquins will carry the spirit tablets of King Taejo and his two queens, Queen Sineui and Queen Sindeok.

"Reviving the tradition of crafting royal spirit palanquins after 155 years and witnessing the dedication of master artisans feels like fulfilling a long-standing duty,” said Park.

Sinsil, or spirit chambers, inside Jeongjeon, the Main Hall of Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul. [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

The ian ceremony, which relocated the spirit tablets to Changdeok Palace during the renovation of Jeongjeon, was conducted in a simplified manner in 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This year's hwanan ceremony will commence at Changdeok Palace with a parade, proceeding through Gwanghwamun, Sejong-daero Intersection, and Jonggak Station before arriving at Jongmyo Shrine.

"Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Jongmyo's Unesco World Heritage designation, we hope the reopening of Jeongjeon and the hwanan ceremony will highlight its significance," said Choi Ja-hyung, an official from the restoration and maintenance division of the National Heritage Administration.

To commemorate the reopening, nighttime performances of Jongmyo Jeryeak — Korea’s royal ancestral ritual music and a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — will be held from April 24 to May 2.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]