Chongmyo Taeje (redirected from Royal Shrine Rite)

Chongmyo Taeje (Royal Shrine Rite)

First Sunday in May

Chongmyo Taeje is a Confucian memorial ceremony held at Chongmyo (or Jongmyo) Shrine in Seoul, Korea, to honor the kings and queens of the Yi, or Joseon, Dynasty (1392-1910). The shrine, in a secluded garden in the center of Seoul, houses the ancestral tablets of the monarchs. Each year elaborate rites are performed to pay homage to them, and a number of royal descendants, robed in the traditional garments of their ancestors, take part. The rites are accompanied by court music and dance. The ceremony is a grand expression of the widespread Confucian practice of honoring ancestors, either at home or at their graves.

CONTACTS:
Cultural Properties Administration
139, Seonsa-ro (920, Dunsan-dong)
Seo-gu
Daejeon, 302-701 Korea
82-42-481-4650; fax: 82-42-481-4759

Celebration days: May 1, 2011; May 6, 2012; May 5, 2013; May 4, 2014; May 3, 2015