The interior of Gyejodang Hall, which was used by the Joseon Dynasty's crown prince at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul's Jongno-gu District, on Nov. 14 was opened to the public for the first time in 110 years in a ceremony that marked the facility's restoration. Shown is the exterior of Gyejodang.

By Wu Jinhua
Photos = Wu Jinhua

"The opening ceremony for Gyejodang will begin. Please shout together, one, two, three!"

Gyejodang Hall, a building within Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul's Jongno-gu District restored after 110 years, on Nov. 14 was opened to the public for the first time at 10:40 a.m. 

Located at the end of the palace's eastern section, the facility was used by Joseon Dynasty King Munjong (1414-52) when he was crown prince to handle state affairs on behalf of his father, King Sejong the Great (1397-1450), or greet foreign envoys. "Gyejo" means "to inherit and reflect" and indicates the crown prince's succession to the throne.

Gyejodang was demolished in 1452 under King Munjong's order but rebuilt during the palace's restoration in 1868 for use by then Crown Prince Sunjong (1874-1926). The building was again destroyed during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula but restored in September this year through excavational research conducted by the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA).

The opening ceremony for the Gyejodang restoration exhibition was attended by experts in cultural heritage repair such as joiners (wood furniture makers) and stone craftsmen who directly took part in the restoration. The facility's interior was reborn as the hall for the exhibition "Crown Prince's Space: Gyeongbokgung's Gyejodang," which shows the daily lives of King Munjong and Emperor Sunjong while they served as crown prince.

Cho Eun-kyung, director of the restoration and maintenance division of CHA's Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, said, "Gyejodang was able to regain its original form thanks to the collection of diverse historical data for six years from 2018, meticulous reviews by relevant experts and manual efforts by experts in cultural heritage repair."

The exhibition "Crown Prince's Space: Gyeongbokgung's Gyejodang" is opened on Nov. 14 at Gyejodang Hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul's Jongno-gu District.

The exhibition's four sections are "The Crown Prince of Joseon," "The Crown Prince in Gyejodang Hall," "Ceremonial Items of the Crown Prince," and "The Donggung Compound and Gyejodang Hall." On display are replicas of items showing the daily life and rituals of the crown prince such as a royal edict, or a document issued by the king at an investiture ceremony; bamboo book containing bamboo strips inscribed with texts on the investiture of the crown prince and princess and inauguration of their official titles; and jade seal used during the crown prince's coronation or investiture ceremony of his son.

A flag there also shows the design of a giringi, a mythical creature that symbolized the royal family's authority.

"This special exhibition not only shows Gyejodang's interior but also storytelling about the crown prince, who owned the building," center curator Son Eunmi said. "We hope that this is a time to reflect on the significance of Gyejodang's restoration, which involved a lot of sweat and effort at the national level, to regain the palace's historicity."

To run through Dec. 18, the exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission. Guided tours on Saturdays and Wednesdays available through reservation explore other major buildings of the palace's eastern section such as Jaseondang, where the crown prince and his wife lived, and Bihyeongak, where he studied and worked. 

More information is available on the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation's official website (www.chf.or.kr).

jane0614@korea.kr