On May 7th the annual Jongmyo Daeje royal ancestral rites were carried out at Jongmyo Shrine, with the center attraction being the honoring of Joseon Dynasty Kings and Queens whose accomplishments are inscribed on tabets housed there in Jeongjeon.
As luck would have it, May 7th also turned out to the the sunniest day of Spring, with blue skies and fluffy clouds thanks to the previous day's storm. While beautiful, all that sunlight made the ceremony somewhat difficult for both participants and spectators. I waited in the midday sun for an hour for the ceremony to start, and when it did, it progressed very slowly. My suntan lotion was dripping off my face with sweat, and I could sense the sunburn I was getting. But I persisted...
These guys did the main part of the ceremony, through offering fruits to their ancestors. There was also music, and dancing...
Most of my photos were of, well, the ladies. Being far away from where the actual cermonial rites were being performed, this was easily the most interesting part. Heck, even the muscians had their backs to the audience. Most of the authorized photographers were blending in with the ceremony, which is what I should have done despite lacking any credentials. Though, I've learned in Korea that I can go many places without being stopped since the people who'd do the stopping would rather not attempt English.
Speaking of language, I've been really busy at school this month and haven't spent much time on my site. I'm going to take a break from studying next month, so that I can review all of the Korean lessons that my mind just didn't absorb from unit 1. I've also got a lot of photos I'd like to put up here too.
Love that first pic.
The women in the second seem to be wearing something very similar to what I wore at my wedding. Is that why there was snickering throughout the ceremony?
cool