King Jeongjo (정조, 正祖) (1752-1800) was the 22nd Joseon monarch and was born to Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyeong. As a young boy, Jeongjo saw his father die at the hands of his grandfather and ruler, King Yeongjo (영조, 英祖) (1694-1776), the 21st Joseon king. Despite this traumatic childhood, King Jeongjo ascended the throne in 1776 at the age of 24 and brought about a number of important political reforms in Joseon during his reign.

In 1789, his 13th year of rule, King Jeongjo made the decision to move his father's grave from Baebongsan Mountain to a new site, now called Yungneung (융릉, 隆陵), in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do Province. He thus elevated the status of his father's tomb, renaming it the Hyeollyungwon (현륭원, 顯隆園).

A few years later in 1795, King Jeongjo, accompanied by his mother, lead a large procession to Yungneung to pay his respects to his father at the Hyeollyungwon. It's well-known that on this same day, the king hosted a lavish banquet at Yungneung to celebrate his mother's milestone 60th birthday.



Over the coming months, a series of concerts that spotlight King Jeongjo's filial piety will be held at Yungneung and at Geolleung (건릉, 健陵), where King Jeongjo himself and his wife, Queen Hyoui, are buried.

The concert "Reimagining King Jeongjo's Filial Piety" was inspired by the ceremonies depicted in the collection of "Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty," or "Uigwe" (원행을묘정리의궤, 園幸乙卯整理儀軌), that show detailed images of Lady Hyegyeong's 60th birthday celebration. The concert will reenact the festivities that took place on the queen mother's birthday, with a modern twist.

The concert is scheduled for three dates, on May 21 and June 18 at 8:30 p.m. and on July 16 at 9 p.m. During the hour-long event, audiences will be treated to performances featuring traditional songs, music and dance.

The concert is free-of-charge, but there's a limit of 100 audience members per night. Online registration will begin seven days before each concert date on a first-come, first-served basis. The link is provided below.

http://royaltombs.cha.go.kr/portal/selectPortalEventView.do?mn=RT_03_02_01&eventSeq=276

By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Cultural Heritage Administration, Seoul National University Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies
hlee10@korea.kr