"Continuous Communication with Danjong" ‥ Yeongwol-gun, Production of 'Danjong Eojin'

Published 14 Apr.2021 10:57(KST)

Traditional 'Janghwang Technique' Scroll Production... Officially Designated as Government Standard Portrait No. 100

Portrait of Danjong (Officially Designated as Royal Portrait No. 100) [Provided by Yeongwol-gun]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] In Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, there is the tomb of Danjong, the 6th king of the Joseon Dynasty, called 'Jangneung.' It is one of the 40 Joseon royal tombs and was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007.

Danjong ascended the throne at the age of 12 in 1452 but was usurped by his uncle Sejo at the age of 15. After the Byeongja Incident, he was exiled to Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol and was killed at the age of 17 in Gwanpungheon.

In 1698 (the 24th year of King Sukjong's reign), Danjong was posthumously reinstated as king. His posthumous name was given as 'Sunjung Anjang Gyeongsun Donhyo (純定安莊景順敦孝),' his temple name was 'Danjong (端宗),' and his tomb was named 'Jangneung (莊陵).'

The people of Yeongwol County have prayed for Danjong's eternal rest and reincarnation through Jangneung memorial rites, folk beliefs, pulling the arrowroot vine game, and royal funeral reenactments, maintaining continuous communication with Danjong.

For the promotion of Danjong, a 'Meoru Jinsangdo' (a painting depicting the legend that loyal subject Chu Ik-han offered wild grapes to Danjong) was enshrined.

The current 'Meoru Jinsangdo' enshrined by Yeongwol County is a simple imaginative painting, not the national standard portrait, and there have been demands to produce a standard portrait due to the coexistence of other Danjong portraits.

Accordingly, Yeongwol County decided to produce Danjong's portrait as the national standard portrait and submitted an application for the production review of the ancestral portrait to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2019. The official designation as the 100th national standard ancestral portrait was received on the 1st of this month.

The Danjong portrait was painted as a frontal full-body seated figure wearing a ceremonial robe and produced as a hanging scroll using traditional mounting techniques.

Along with the Danjong portrait, 'Danjong Eojin Chusa Ui-gwi (端宗御眞追寫儀軌),' which records the entire process of making the portrait and the copying techniques, the 'Obongbyeong (日月五蜂屛)' screen that hangs behind the king's portrait, and the 'Banchado (班次圖)' used for the enshrinement ceremony were also produced.

The newly produced Danjong portrait is evaluated as meaningful for restoring royal culture and laying the foundation for creating cultural tourism resources in Yeongwol County.

Yeongwol County expects that by permanently enshrining the Danjong portrait in the Danjong History Museum located within the Jangneung precinct, it will be established as a cultural asset to be passed down to future generations, reinforcing its image as a land of loyalty and fidelity historically.

Furthermore, overcoming the disappointment of failing to be selected in the third preliminary round for the Cultural City designation last year, the public and private sectors will jointly reapply for the preliminary city selection this year.

The county plans to respond to the crisis of regional extinction due to population decline, effectively convey a sustainable cultural vision and plan, and build the city brand as a cultural city.