Exhibition Showcasing 'Reading King' Jeongjo's Writings and Calligraphy Opens in Suwon

Suwon Hwaseong Museum will hold a special exhibition titled "King Jeongjo, the Great Reader: His Writings and Calligraphy" in the planning exhibition hall from October 6 this year to January 29 next year, commemorating the 270th anniversary of King Jeongjo's (1752?1800) birth.

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] An exhibition where you can see the writings and calligraphy of King Jeongjo, the 22nd monarch of Joseon, will be held at the Suwon Hwaseong Museum.

The Suwon Hwaseong Museum announced that to commemorate the 270th anniversary of King Jeongjo's (1752?1800) birth, it will hold a special exhibition titled "King Jeongjo, the Great Reader: His Writings and Calligraphy" in the planned exhibition hall from October 6 this year to January 29 next year.

King Jeongjo was called the "Great Reader King" and the "God of Study." Even after ascending the throne, he read books whenever he had time and ended each day by writing a diary.

King Jeongjo left behind many writings and calligraphy that reflected his thoughts and feelings. Various forms of writings have been passed down, including not only writings related to state affairs but also those addressed to his family and officials. The collection of these works is called the "Hongjae Jeonseo."

Among the kings of Joseon, King Jeongjo left the largest number of literary collections. To encourage scholarship, he personally compiled books, created movable type, and published and distributed numerous books, leading the literary renaissance of the late Joseon period.

The Suwon Hwaseong Museum has carefully selected King Jeongjo’s writings and calligraphy collected over the past decade and borrowed some artifacts to prepare this special exhibition.

The exhibition is broadly organized into three themes: ▲ King Jeongjo’s Love of Books ▲ King Jeongjo’s Writing ▲ King Jeongjo’s Composition.

In "King Jeongjo’s Love of Books," anecdotes related to his childhood reading, his treasured books and book seals (jangseo-in), and folding screens depicting bookshelves (chaegado) are introduced. It is said that Jeongjo learned letters as soon as he started learning to speak and, as he grew up, never let go of a book except when sleeping or eating.

In "King Jeongjo’s Writing," visitors can see calligraphy from his time as Crown Prince as well as writings he gave to royal family members and officials. Known as a "Master Calligrapher King," Jeongjo’s handwriting is praised for being robust and dignified. It is said that he picked up a brush and ink as a baby, showing extraordinary talent for calligraphy. He loved writing so much that by age two he was already forming letter shapes, and by three or four, he was making brush strokes, turning daily writing into a game.

In "King Jeongjo’s Composition," the representative artifact "Hongjae Jeonseo," consisting of 100 volumes, is exhibited. Having laid the foundation of composition through reading, Jeongjo left many writings expressing his thoughts and feelings about state governance. He also wrote many pieces for his family and officials. The collection of all these works is the "Hongjae Jeonseo," an enormous volume that ranks among the largest in Joseon history. It contains the life and philosophy of Jeongjo, who was especially devoted to books and pursued scholarly governance.

In connection with the exhibition, the Suwon Hwaseong Museum will hold special lectures on November 22 titled "The Reading Story of the Scholar-King Jeongjo" (Professor Kim Moon-sik, Dankook University) and on November 23 titled "Jeongjo’s State Governance and the Role of Literature" (Professor Oh Se-hyun, Gyeongsang National University).

A representative of the Suwon Hwaseong Museum said, "King Jeongjo, regarded as a sage king of the late Joseon period, built Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and constructed the new city of Suwon, leaving us a great legacy. This exhibition will be an opportunity to understand the life and philosophy of King Jeongjo, who pursued scholarly governance."

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