page_title: Jongmyo
section_title: Rituals and performances
hierarchical_section_title: Jongmyo / Rituals and performances
caption_attribution_description: An elaborate performance of Korean ancient court music (with accompanying dance) known as Jongmyo jeryeak (hangul: 종묘제례악; hanja: 宗廟祭禮樂) is performed there each year in May. Musicians, dancers, and scholars would perform Confucian rituals, such as the Jongmyo Daeje (Royal Shrine Ritual) in the courtyard five times a year. Today the rituals have been reconstructed and revived. The Jongmyo Daeje has been designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 56.
context_page_description: Jongmyo is a Confucian shrine dedicated to the perpetuation of memorial services for the deceased kings and queens of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. According to UNESCO, the shrine is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established in the 14th century. Such shrines existed during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period, but these have not survived. The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995.
  Jongmyo is adjacent to Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung in the south. They used to be connected in the Joseon period, but were separated by a road built by Japanese colonialists. Nowadays there is a construction plan to recover the original structure of the shrine. The main buildings of Jongmyo was constructed in October, 1394 when Taejo, first king of Joseon Dynasty, moved the capital to Seoul. It was destroyed by fire in the Japanese invasions of Korea, then rebuilt in 1608.
context_section_description: An elaborate performance of ancient court music (with accompanying dance) known as Jongmyo jeryeak (Hangul: 종묘제례악; Hanja: 宗廟祭禮樂) is performed there each year for the Jongmyo jerye ritual. Musicians, dancers, and scholars would perform Confucian rituals, such as the Jongmyo Daeje (Royal Shrine Ritual) in the courtyard five times a year. Today the rituals have been reconstructed and revived. The Jongmyo Daeje has been designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 56 and is performed every year on the first Sunday in May. The Jongmyo Jerye-ak, the traditional court music of Joseon, is performed by the Royal Court Orchestra and has been designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property of South Korea No. 1. This court music has its origins in Chinese court music that was brought to Korea during the Goryeo period (918-1392). King Sejong composed new music for the ritual based largely on hyangak (with some dangak) in 1447 and 1462.
  The songs invite the ancestral spirits to descend from heaven to enjoy the kings achievements in founding the dynasty and defending the country in order to encourage their descendants to follow in their footsteps. Today the members of the Jeonju Yi Royal Family Association perform the rites to the accompaniment of music and dance provided by musicians from the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts and dancers from the Gukak National High School.
caption: Performance of Jongmyo jeryeak, May 2007.
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