Jongmyo Shrine: The Noble Simplicity and Calm Grandeur of Korea, Part 1 of 2

In the midst of downtown Seoul stands a woodland, untouched by the busy city, as tranquil as if time has stood still. Here rests Jongmyo Shrine, the most sacred place of worship in Korea for the past 600 years. Jongmyo is a temple that enshrines the spirits of the 25 kings that ruled Korea during the Joseon dynasty. In December 1995, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural organization（UNESCO）designated Jongmyo as a World Heritage Site, recognizing it as “the oldest and most authentic of the Confucian royal ancestral shrines, with a unique spatial layout that has been preserved in its entirely.” In other words, it was the temple of Joseon Dynasty, the most sacred space. The kings of the Joseon Dynasty prayed for national peace and the well-being of the people here. The beauty of Jongmyo’s structures lies in the extreme simplicity and moderation in their design. Even globally, it is a very unique architecture. There is a saying, “Noble Simplicity and Calm Grandeur.”