Suwon City Publishes Book Commemorating Unhangak of Hwaryeong-jeon as Treasure

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon City announced on the 25th that it has published a book titled "A Rational Ritual Space, Suwon's Hwaryeong-jeon" to promote the value of Hwaryeong-jeon in commemoration of the designation of Unhangak of Hwaryeong-jeon within Hwaseong Fortress as a national treasure.

"A Rational Ritual Space, Suwon's Hwaryeong-jeon" is a collection of writings on the cultural heritage value of Hwaryeong-jeon by seven experts in various fields.

▲Architectural characteristics and cultural heritage value of Hwaryeong-jeon (Professor Emeritus Kim Dong-wook, Kyonggi University) ▲Hwaryeong-jeon, a space where King Jeongjo's royal portrait resides (Senior Research Fellow Yun Jin-young, Academy of Korean Studies) ▲Another Jeongjo, the way to honor the royal portrait (Professor Jeong Hae-deuk, Hanshin University) ▲Taking a closer look at the buildings of Hwaryeong-jeon (Park Jeong-chun-hwan, Director of Architectural Culture Research Institute Architectural Guide) ▲Adorning the space as a living king's realm (Park Jeong-jeong-nam, Director of Architectural Literature Archaeology Studio) ▲Displaying the dignity of portrait hall architecture (Senior Research Fellow Lee Eun-hee, Korea Cultural Heritage Policy Research Institute) ▲Hwaryeong-jeon guarded by Suwon citizens, gears of preservation and utilization (Park Oh-seon-hwa, Curator Researcher, Suwon City) and others.

The book explains the significance of Hwaryeong-jeon in Joseon Dynasty portrait hall architecture, the identity of King Jeongjo's royal portrait enshrined at Hwaryeong-jeon, interior decoration and coloring characteristics of Hwaryeong-jeon, and the preservation process of Hwaryeong-jeon.

It also includes a Korean translation of "Hwaryeong-jeon Eung-haeng Jeol-mok (華寧殿應行節目)," which describes ritual procedures, building management regulations, and ritual objects stored in the building.

During the Joseon Dynasty, there were several portrait halls enshrining royal portraits in various regions, but currently only Jeonju Gyeonggi-jeon (慶基殿), which houses the portrait of Taejo, and Suwon's Hwaryeong-jeon remain.

Hwaryeong-jeon was built in 1801, the year after King Jeongjo's death. Korea's finest carpenters from Seoul who were responsible for palace construction participated in the project and completed it in just two months and nine days.

Unhangak, Bokdo-gak, and Yian-cheong of Hwaryeong-jeon were designated as National Treasures No. 2035 in August 2019. Unhangak is the main hall that enshrines King Jeongjo's royal portrait. Yian-cheong is a building created to temporarily enshrine the royal portrait, and Bokdo-gak is a space connecting Unhangak and Yian-cheong.

Unlike Gyeonggi-jeon, where the main hall enshrining the royal portrait and the temporary storage building Yian-cheong are separated, Hwaryeong-jeon has a "ㄷ"-shaped structure where the main hall (Unhangak) and Yian-cheong are connected by Bokdo-gak. It is characterized by a practical and rational spatial composition.

Hwaryeong-jeon is evaluated as having high value as a national treasure because it demonstrates the essence of royal architecture and has well-preserved its original form from the time of its construction.

An official from Suwon City's Hwaseong Project Office said, "Since King Jeongjo's royal portrait was moved to Deoksu Palace in 1908, Suwon citizens have made voluntary contributions to repair Hwaryeong-jeon whenever it deteriorated and was in danger of collapse," adding "Hwaryeong-jeon was able to be preserved thanks to Suwon citizens."

The official continued, "Hwaryeong-jeon is an excellent structure of high value, but its existence has not been widely known to the public," and expressed hope that "Hwaryeong-jeon will become widely known to citizens, allowing its cultural heritage value to be reassessed and its status to be elevated further."

"A Rational Ritual Space, Suwon's Hwaryeong-jeon" is a non-sale publication. It can be borrowed at national and public libraries and university libraries nationwide. The city plans to post the file on the Suwon City website (https://www.suwon.go.kr) 'e-book Resources Promotion Center.'