Shrine Visit: Jongmyo Shrine 종묘

Jongmyo is a Shrine located near Jongno 3-ga station, exit 3. I think the shrine symbolizes a culture that was highly sophisticated during the ancient Korea. I went there with my friend 오정형 who was also amazed to see the shrine for the first time ^^ Jongmyo is a royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon dynasty where the spirit tablets of its kings and queens are enshrined. Memorials are still observe in respect to the time-old confucian tradition. As you can see right from the main gate, a path/road was built. It is said that the spirits of the kings (and queens probably, I'm not sure) walk here during the ancestral rites. The construction of the shrine began in the 12th month of 1394 and was completed on the ninth month of the next year. Jeongjeon (Main Hall) has 19 rooms enshrining a total of 49 tablets for kings commanding greater respect and their queens. On the other hand, the annex, Yeongnyeongjeon (Hall of Everlasting Peace) has 16 rooms housing 34 tablets. The shrine being designated as a Historic Monument No. 125, offers a very peaceful environment to people who visit the shrine. After that we went to Ewha De to eat chimtak 찜닭 which is the Korean version of adobo.