The 27th Seonjam Festival Held

Seongbuk-gu to Hold the 27th Seonjam Festival at Seonjam Complex on the 21st, Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, to Serve as Chief Ritual Officer

A traditional cultural event reenacting one of the Joseon royal court rituals to pray for the abundance of silkworm rearing and a year of stability, dedicated to Seoreungssi, the god of sericulture, held annually since 1993 and now marking its 27th edition

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) will hold the 27th Seonjam Festival at the Seonjam Complex in Seongbuk-dong on the 21st.

The Seonjam Festival is one of the royal court rituals during the Joseon Dynasty, held annually to honor Seoreungssi, the god of sericulture, praying for the abundance of silkworm rearing and a year of stability. It was an important state ritual conducted on a scale following the Jongmyo Daeje and Sajik Daeje ceremonies. The festival originated in the Goryeo Dynasty but was interrupted during the Japanese colonial period. It has been reenacted since 1993 and is now celebrating its 27th edition.

This year’s Seonjam Festival is hosted by Seongbuk-gu Office, organized by the Seongbuk Seonjam Museum, and the ritual will be jointly performed by the Seonjam Festival Preservation Committee and the Jongmyo Ritual Preservation Association. The ritual ceremony will take place at the Seonjam Complex starting at 10 a.m. on the 21st, lasting about 90 minutes, proceeding in the order of Jeonpye-rye, Chohun-rye, Ahun-rye, Jonghun-rye, Eumbok-rye, Cheolbyeondu, and Mangye.

The chief ritual officer is performing the paebaek ceremony.

Known as the “museum without a roof,” Seongbuk-gu is making efforts to preserve the Seonjam Festival and Seonjam Complex as traditional culture and local historical and cultural resources together with its residents.

In particular, Seongbuk-gu established the Seongbuk Seonjam Museum, the district’s first public museum, to promote the historical value of the Seonjam Complex and Seonjam Festival, and is dedicated to verification and research by holding related exhibitions and academic seminars.

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, stated, “The Seonjam Festival, a proud cultural heritage of Seongbuk-gu, is a ritual that combines music, song, and dance, and it holds great significance as one of the most important state rituals of the Joseon Dynasty. We will continue to hold the Seonjam Festival annually to reflect on the value of intangible heritage and strive to register the Seonjam Festival as intangible cultural heritage. We hope for the continued interest and support of our residents.”

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