Jongmyo Shrine
종묘
A royal shrine enshrining the spirit tablets of the Joseon kings, listed as a World Heritage Site in 1995. Its main hall is one of Korea’s longest single wooden structures.
Jongmyo is the shrine where the spirit tablets of the Joseon kings and queens are enshrined, and it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The main hall is about 100 meters wide, with 19 shrine chambers lined up in a single row. Its solemn, simple style makes it an emblem of East Asian shrine architecture. Yeongnyeongjeon enshrines the kings who were honored posthumously. The Jongmyo Jerye ancestral rite, held on the first Sunday of May each year, and its ritual music are on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The visiting arrangements are special: on weekdays you must enter with a scheduled guided tour (with Chinese-language sessions), while on Saturdays and the last Wednesday of each month you may visit freely. Admission is 1,000 won, and the site is closed on Tuesdays. It is about a 5-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station on Subway Lines 1, 3 and 5. From the south side, you can enter via a footbridge that leads to Changgyeonggung.
Opening hours
09:00–18:00 (Jun–Aug until 18:30), closed Tuesdays
Nearby sights
- Changgyeonggung Palace
- Ikseon-dong Hanok Street
- Changdeokgung Palace
- Gwangjang Market
- Insadong
- Ihwa Mural Village & Naksan Park
- Jogyesa Temple
- Bukchon Hanok Village