Jongmyo Daeje

Jongmyo Daeje is a royal Confucian ancestral rite ceremony which dates to the Joseon Dynasty and is performed once a year in May by the descendents of  Joseon royalty.  During the ceremony the ancestor's spirits are greeted with gifts and served food and wine and then sent off again with bowing and the burning of incense, prayers and slow methodical dancing.  It is a beautiful, colorful ceremony performed in the enormous stone courtyard of UNESCO World Heritage Site - Jongmyo- which, at the time of construction, was the longest building in Asia. 

Jongmyo     Jongmyo Daeje     UNESCO     Confucianism     Ancestor Veneration     Joseon Dynasty