Suwon City Holds Commemoration Ceremony on 29th for Three Buildings at Hwaryeongjeong Designated as Treasures

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon City will hold a commemoration ceremony on the 29th at 6 p.m. at Hwaryeongjeong (華寧殿) located in Shinpung-dong, Paldal-gu, to celebrate the designation of Unhangak (雲漢閣), Bokdogak (複道閣), and Iaancheong (移安廳) as national designated cultural properties and treasures.

The commemoration ceremony, to be held in front of Unhangak, will proceed with a Gao Ritual (告由祭) and celebratory performances. The Gao Ritual is a Confucian-style ritual performed to report special national or village matters to the Royal Ancestral Shrine (宗廟), the National Shrine, or ancestral temples.

The Gao Ritual will proceed with the Jeonhyang Chukryae (傳香祝禮) and Jegwantchwiwi (祭官就位) led by the Jeonju Yi Clan Association. At Unharyeongjeong's Unhangak, where the portrait of King Jeongjo is enshrined, ritual officials will perform the Jakheonryae (酌獻禮), the ritual of offering wine cups. This serves to report the auspicious occasion to King Jeongjo. The celebratory performances will feature court music and dance performances by the Gyeonggi Provincial Dance Company and Gyeonggi Provincial National Music Institute.

Any citizen may participate in the commemoration ceremony. The event will also be broadcast live on large screens installed in front of Hwaryeongjeong, allowing viewing from outside Unhangak as well.

Unhangak, designated as National Treasure No. 2035 on the 29th, is the main hall that enshrines the portrait of King Jeongjo. Iaancheong is a building constructed to temporarily enshrine the royal portrait. Bokdogak is the space connecting Unhangak and Iaancheong.

Hwaryeongjeong, built in 1801, is evaluated as the epitome of 19th-century royal architecture. The ㄷ-shaped arrangement structure of Unhangak, Bokdogak, and Iaancheong is a characteristic of late Joseon palace spatial composition that can only be seen at Hwaryeongjeong.

An official from the City's Hwaseong Project Office stated, “With the designation as a treasure, the cultural heritage and historical value have been recognized. We hope for the participation of many citizens in the event.”