"Understanding Jongmyo(宗廟) through Enshrining of New Ancestral Tablet at the Shrine of the Ancestors(祔廟) in the Joseon Dynasty"

Jongmyo Shrine functions as both a ceremonial space for ancestral worship and an archive of historical records. This study reveals that the enshrining of new ancestral tablets (sinju) in the Joseon Dynasty was not merely a ritual but a structured process involving the creation of new sinju, their installation, and the reordering of existing ones—a symbolic generational transition. The research also highlights Jongmyo's role as a repository for royal records, with an increasing number of documents requiring innovative storage solutions by the late Joseon period. Additionally, the study underscores the political significance of these rituals, particularly during the mourning period (sawi-sik), where the enshrining ceremony reinforced royal authority and celebrated the ascension of new rulers.

Lee, W. (2024). “Understanding Jongmyo(宗廟) through Enshrining of New Ancestral Tablet at the Shrine of the Ancestors(祔廟) in the Joseon Dynasty”. The Critical Review of Religion and Culture, 45, 287–331. https://doi.org/10.36429/crrc.45.7