Return of the kings: Treasured royal shrine's main hall reopened to public after 5-year restoration — in pictures
![A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/4fbe22ce-77fa-4dd3-9a3d-ada75f8dfb1f.jpg)
A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]
![A traditional rite celebrating the return of spirit tablets to the Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/063a384e-0735-4bda-917f-08b5615c39ef.jpg)
A traditional rite celebrating the return of spirit tablets to the Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [YONHAP]
A 101-meter-long (331.4-feet-long) masterpiece of Korean wooden architecture, the Jeongjeon Hall at Jongmyo Shrine reopened to the public on Sunday after undergoing five years of restoration work.
Alongside the reopening, 49 spirit tablets of the Joseon Dynasty's kings and queens, which had been temporarily enshrined at the former Seonwonjeon Hall in Changdeok Palace, were returned to their rightful place.
The hall, now restored to its former dignity, displayed a clean white finish on its central roof and neatly aligned roof tiles. During the restoration, the entire roof was rebuilt with 70,000 handmade tiles. A previous combination of factory-made and handmade tiles had caused uneven weight distribution. This project marked the most extensive renovation since the last large-scale overhaul carried out from 1989 to 1991. A total of 20 billion won ($14.1 million) was spent over five years.
A rare traditional rite known as hwanan, or the re-enshrinement ceremony, was held in the afternoon. The ritual involved the return of the spirit tablets of 49 monarchs, including King Taejo (r. 1392–1398), the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, to the Jeongjeon Hall. It was the first time the hwanan ceremony had been performed since 1870, when both the Jeongjeon and Yeongnyeongjeon halls were repaired during the reign of King Gojong (1864-1897).
![A traditional rite known as hwanan, or the re-enshrinement ceremony, being held in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/4a712ee8-ae72-4265-96ea-01fb5ef79638.jpg)
A traditional rite known as hwanan, or the re-enshrinement ceremony, being held in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [NEWS1]
![A traditional rite celebrating the return of spirit tablets to the Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/067bd904-bf8c-4aa1-b04a-969cf36e757b.jpg)
A traditional rite celebrating the return of spirit tablets to the Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [NEWS1]
![A traditional rite celebrating the return of spirit tablets to the Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/d70c6bec-8a14-43fa-98a9-0e581f545338.jpg)
A traditional rite celebrating the return of spirit tablets to the Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [YONHAP]
![A traditional rite celebrating the return of spirit tablets to the Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/f18d3f8f-0334-4687-956a-f4a552db0e29.jpg)
A traditional rite celebrating the return of spirit tablets to the Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, in April 20. [YONHAP]
The procession included 28 palanquins used for transporting the tablets and seven horses. The spirit tablets departed Changdeok Palace and made their way through Gwanghwamun to Jongmyo Shrine, a journey of approximately 3.5 kilometers.
To commemorate both the 30th anniversary of Jongmyo Shrine’s inscription as a Unesco World Heritage Site and the completion of the Jeongjeon’s restoration, the Cultural Heritage Administration will hold a special exhibition titled "Jongmyo, a Sacred Place of Reverence" from Monday to June 16. The show will explore the history of Jongmyo’s expansions and restoration projects.
![A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/a805dd86-38e9-433f-81a8-8aa436800e28.jpg)
A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]
![A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/763cc891-cb7f-4d40-9f83-e6a7829f8629.jpg)
A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]
![A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/3dbc0a93-d8e3-4b30-954f-52456bd14c84.jpg)
A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [YONHAP]
![A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/b629144d-0f87-4596-886f-e6bd0c060e39.jpg)
A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]
![A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/1c1b1731-6889-44b5-8e7f-541b2edc6b3b.jpg)
A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [YONHAP]
![A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/5d1a27ec-4b43-4f51-a30a-15292e4f7b33.jpg)
A media facade performance held in Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]
BY KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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