On October 17, under the warm autumn sun, a ceremony was held in front of the Heungnyemun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Participants, dressed in traditional royal costumes, played the king of Joseon, his servants and palace guards, while the sound of bells echoed around them. Thus, they represented the cheopjong ceremony.
«It’s an order! His Majesty the King has given the instruction to serve the royal guard. The gatekeeper must prevent entry to anyone who does not have the pyosin (identification required to enter and exit the palace during the Joseon Dynasty). The palace guards will be subjected to cheopjong (military inspection).”
The legal code of Joseon, Gyeongguk Daejeon defines cheopjong as a ceremony in which the king inspected his palace guards by repeatedly ringing a large bell. During this ritual, all soldiers and officials, both civil and military, gathered to show their loyalty and valor to the king and the royal family.
Palace ceremony in Gyeongbokgung revives Joseon era
The modern reinterpretation of the ceremony included a royal procession and a display of the martial skills of the palace guards, presented in a theatrical format.
Listening to the doseungji (royal secretary) narrating the ceremony evoked the feeling of traveling back to the Joseon era. Foreign visitors were able to enjoy the event and understand it better thanks to announcements in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Some even dared to imitate the phrases of the royal servants in their own accent, saying: “His kindness is truly infinite.”
This same ceremony will be held twice a day until October 20, at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. No reservation is necessary and anyone visiting Heungnyemun can attend the event for free.
During this period, Gyeongbokgung will not hold its usual ceremonies for changing the sumunjang (chief palace gatekeeper) and pasu (Gwanghwamun gate guards).
Source: https://reporteasia.com/cultura/educacion/2024/10/22/palacio-gyeongbokgung-recreacion-ceremonia-inspeccion-guardia-real/
