[Exhibition] Joseon kings' footsteps passing through Heunginjimun

[Exhibition] Joseon kings' footsteps passing through Heunginjimun. September. 27, 2017 07:52. by Sang-Un Kim sukim@donga.com.

Imagine a king's procession, passing through Heunginjimun Gate to travel outside of the Joseon capital city of Hanyang.

The Museum of Hanyang under the Seoul Museum of History is holding an exhibition called "Heunginjimun Gate Sees the King off," to shed new light on the eastern gate of Hanyang by looking at royal ceremonies. The exhibition mainly focuses on King Yeongjo's state funeral in 1776 and King Gojong's visit to the royal tomb in 1872.

The exhibition consists of two parts: ”The King's Last Road" and "Visit to the Royal Tomb: In Memory of the Late King." The first part portrays King Yeongjo's funeral bier passing through Heunginjimun Gate toward Wolleung, a royal tomb where Yeongjo is buried. Back in 1776, his state funeral lasted for 27 months. The arch stone of Heunginjimun Gate had to be removed as the bier was too big to pass through the gate.

In the second part, we can take a look at the street scene around Heunginjimun Gate, where King Gojong's procession passed through in their way to Wolleung. After his ascension to the throne, Gojong paid visit to Wolleung every fall. In 1892, marking the 500th anniversary of Joseon's establishment, he paid royal visit to King Ikjong's tomb Suleung, King Taejo's Geonwolleung and King Seonjo's Mokleung, as well as Wolleung.

The journals of Westerners, who visited Hanyang at the end of the 19th century, offer a glimpse of the roads repaired in a hurry for King Gojong's procession and the people who came out to the street to watch the king. In a special lecture in connection with the exhibition, a state funeral procedure of King Yeongjo and political significance of King Gojong's visit to the royal tombs will be dealt with. The exhibition will be held until Dec. 17. For more information, call 02-724-0243.