Information Panel of Jeongjeon (Main Hall of Jongmyo Shrine)

The Main Shrine Hall of the Joseon's royal ancestral shrine houses spirit tablets of Joseon kings and their queen consorts for holding memorial rites honoring their achievements. Unfortunately, the shrine hall is not open to the public. Therefore, Jeongjeon, the information panel, provides an introduction to the hall. The royal ancestral memorial rite takes place before the spirit tablets of Joseon kings and their consorts. Each tablet, made of wood, represents a specific royal ancestor. A total of 49 spirit tablets of kings and queens are enshrined in 19 chambers of the Main Shrine Hall, and 34 tablets in 16 chambers of the Hall of Everlasting Peace. A sacrificial table is offered in each chamber, allowing each king to share a table with one or more consorts. Offered foods are categorized as seasoned or unseasoned, wet or dry, along with specially brewed beverages. The chart on the information panel contains the list of Joseon kings and queens whose spirit tablets are enshrined in the Main Shrine Hall of the Jongmyo Shrine. The chart also displays their posthumous titles and the locations of their spirit tablets. The Joseon Dynasty had 25 kings, with 19 kings, including those posthumously given kingly titles, having their spirit tablets enshrined in the Main Shrine Hall alongside the spirit tablets of their queen consorts. The original main hall was a five-bay building, but over time, it expanded into a long 19-bay structure through several extensions to accommodate more memorial tablets. King Sejong, the fourth monarch of Joseon, constructed an annex to this shrine, known today as Yeongnyeongjeon or Hall of Everlasting Peace. The new shrine hall was exclusively dedicated to the four latest generations of ancestral tablets. When a king passed away and his tablet arrived at the Main Shrine Hall, the tablets of the oldest remaining in the shrine were relocated from the Hall to the annex. However, the royal family of Joseon retained the tablets of kings who had made extraordinary achievements in the Main Shrine Hall.