Dongmyo () is a myo shrine in Downtown Seoul, South Korea. It was built in honour of the 3rd century Chinese military commander,

Guan Yu Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on ...

. The Joseon government embarked on construction in 1599 and completed the work in 1601. The

Wanli Emperor The Wanli Emperor (4 September 1563 – 18 August 1620), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shenzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Yijun, art name Yuzhai, was the 14th List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reig ...

of Ming provided funds for construction of the shrine, along with a plaque with his own

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

. Three shrines - Dongmyo (east shrine), Seomyo (west shrine) and Bungmyo (north shrine) - were actually constructed in 1601. However, only Dongmyo Shrine remains today. There was no such practice as worshipping

as a Marshal Deity in Korea until

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

military officers brought the custom during the military campaigns against Japan. As

Neo-Confucian Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a Morality, moral, Ethics, ethical, and metaphysics, metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, which originated with Han Yu (768� ...

fundamentalist Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishin ...

s, Korean officers found it unacceptable to worship Guan Yu, but were unable to refuse the Chinese request for enshrinement. The construction was a burden to exhausted postwar Korea and the shrine was maintained only with concern for the relationship with China. Koreans remained indifferent toward these shrines for a long time. But during the reign of King Yeongjo (1724–1776), Dongmyo and Nammyo (another shrine constructed by Ming military official Zhen Yin) were incorporated into state rituals for the purpose of Ming worship linked with hostility toward and contempt for

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

.Kuwano Eiji 桑野栄治, ''Chōsen Shōchūka ishiki no keisei to tenkai'' 朝鮮小中華意識の形成と展開, Kokka rinen to taigai ninshiki 国家理念と対外認識, pp. 149-185, 2001. The shrine is surrounded by a wall of stone and mud, and covers an area of 9,315 m². Ceremonies were held here for many years to thank Guan Yu for divine support. The shrine compound is enclosed on all sides by walls. Two figures to the rear of the compound are of the general while other figures are images of retainers and other generals. The figure with a red face is the general's earthly countenance and the one with a yellow face, his spirit. The shrine, following the Chinese model, is narrower in width than depth, and the rear and side walls are sumptuously decorated with bricks. Inside the main shrine a wooden image of Guan Yu is enshrined, along with statues of four of his retainers. A nearby station on Line 1 and Line 6 of the

Seoul Subway The Seoul Metropolitan Subway () is a urban rail transit, metropolitan railway system consisting of 23 rapid transit, Medium-capacity rail transport system, light metro, commuter rail and people mover lines located in northwest South Korea. T ...

is named after shrine. The shrine is located in

Jongno District upright=1, Bosingak bell pavilion Jongno District () is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. It is the historic center of Seoul that contains Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, and the Blue House, the for ...

Gallery

서울 동관왕묘 01.jpg 서울 동관왕묘 07.jpg 서울 동관왕묘 03.jpg 서울 동관왕묘 04.jpg 서울 동관왕묘 05.jpg 서울 동관왕묘 06.jpg

Notes

References

* Kuwano Eiji 桑野栄治, ''Chōsen kōki ni okeru kokka saishi girei no hendō'' 朝鮮後期における国家祭祀儀礼の変動, Kurume Daigaku Kiyō: Kokusai Bunka gakka hen 久留米大学文学部紀要国際文化学科編, Vol. 23, pp. 31–53. 2006.

Gallery

Notes

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See also