Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do Holds Spring Ancestral Rite at Sungnyeoljeon in Namhansanseong

Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Bang Se-hwan) held the Spring Memorial Ceremony at Sungryeoljeon in Namhansanseong on the 19th, attended by about 250 local Confucian scholars and Gwangju citizens.

Gwangju Mayor Bang Se-hwan is performing the Spring Memorial Ceremony at Sungnyeoljeon in Namhansanseong on the 19th, attended by about 250 local Confucian scholars and Gwangju citizens. Photo by Gyeonggi Gwangju City

At this ceremony, Mayor Bang Se-hwan served as the primary officiant, Heo Kyung-haeng, Chairman of the Gwangju City Council, as the secondary officiant, and Shim Do-sik, Chairman of the Hanam Confucian Association, as the tertiary officiant. They honored the will of King Onjo, the founder of Baekje, and the patriotic spirit of General Lee Seo, the chief architect of Namhansanseong, adding significance to the continuation of tradition.

The ritual followed traditional ceremonial procedures, beginning with the Jeonpye-rye, followed by the primary offering (Chohun-rye), secondary offering (Ahun-rye), tertiary offering (Jonghun-rye), and the ritual drink offering (Eumbok-rye). The dignified ritual music and the Ilmu dance were performed simultaneously, captivating the attention of the citizens.

Mayor Bang Se-hwan stated, “We will strive to create a just administration and a people-centered happy city by emulating the loyalty and integrity of our ancestors.”

Meanwhile, the Sungryeoljeon Memorial Ceremony was designated as Gwangju City’s first intangible cultural heritage of local culture on April 21, 2008, and is held twice annually in spring and autumn.

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