The main duty of the Sungyemun (Commander of the Gate Guard) was to devote himself to the peace and security of the dynasty by guarding the safety of the monarch and his family residing in the palace. The ceremony of the opening and closing the palace gates and changing the guard at the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, was a symbolic act of such devotion and it had to be held according to a carefully arranged ceremonious procedure. It was in the first year (1479) of King Yejong's rule that the ceremony was fully established, and before that the duty of guarding the palaces was carried out by the Hogun (Security Army) of the Joseon central military unit called Owi (Five Commands)
The ceremony of changing the gate guard is revived at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace of Joseon, according to the formality established in the early 15th century. In this special event based on extensive historical research, all the uniforms, weapons and accessories of the gate guard are fully reenacted, recreating an impressive spectacle.
Now this is said to be a rare thing to see, yet I saw it twice this past saturday. It was really cool to see everything done in the same way it was believed to be done in the 1400s.
Anyway thanks for reading all my info, and you can find more photos at
http://www.samanthastark.com/
Until Next Time...
Hey Sam! I didn't know you were the Samantha leaving comments on Kristie's blog. Looking forward to reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteKristie's Mom,
Sandra