'2022 Myohyeonrye - The Crown Princess's First Greeting' to be Held at Jongmyo from the 18th

2019 Jongmyo Jerye Ceremony

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Division and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation will hold the 2022 Myohyeonrye from the 18th to the 22nd at Jongmyo Shrine, a World Heritage site. This year’s Myohyeonrye will be held at Yeongnyeongjeon Hall instead of Jeongjeon Hall, which is currently under renovation.

Myohyeonrye (廟見禮) is a ritual in which the queen or crown princess, after their wedding, pays respects (alcheon, meaning visiting and seeing) to the ancestral tablets of the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty enshrined at Jongmyo. It is the only state ritual at Jongmyo in which royal women participated. Although the ceremony was not held for two years due to COVID-19, this year it will be newly presented by combining a creative play and reenactment events based on the earliest recorded Myohyeonrye in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.

In particular, the creative play titled “The Crown Princess’s First Greeting” unfolds around the various emotions of the royal woman before the Myohyeonrye, such as excitement and anxiety. The main characters include King Sukjong, King Gyeongjong, Queen Inhyeon, Danuibin, and the Jongmyo raccoon. Additionally, the ritual of the queen and crown princess performing the four bows of Korean archery (Gukgung Sabae, 鞠躬四拜) during the Myohyeonrye reenactment will be incorporated into the latter part of the play, delivering both entertainment and historical knowledge. Furthermore, side events such as experiencing traditional cosmetics at the Akgongcheong (樂工廳) will be offered, allowing visitors to experience the culture of Joseon royal women and providing various enjoyable activities.

This Myohyeonrye performance is part of the “2022 Spring Royal Culture Festival” and will be held twice daily at 1 PM and 4 PM for five days starting from the 18th. There is no separate participation fee except for the Jongmyo admission fee. Advance reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis via Interpark Ticket starting at 2 PM on the 10th. Reservations are limited to 50 people on weekdays and 100 people on weekends. Up to 200 people can attend each session, and remaining seats can be filled by on-site registration. Additionally, only those who make advance reservations will receive a commemorative “Moran Hyangnang” (peony-scented sachet), which is used as an actual prop in the play.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.