Sungnyong Hall is a shrine dedicated to the founding kings of ancient

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

located in the center of

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...

. It is listed as National Treasure #6.

History

Sungnyong Hall was constructed in 1429 for the veneration of the mythical founder of the Korean nation,

Tangun Dangun (; ) or Dangun Wanggeom (; ) was the legendary founder and god-king of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, around present-day Liaoning province in Northeast China and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the "gran ...

, and was originally called Tangun Hall. The shrine was enlarged under the

Yi dynasty The House of Yi, also called the Yi dynasty (also transcribed as the Lee dynasty), was the royal family of the Joseon dynasty and later the imperial family of the Korean Empire, descended from the Joseon founder Yi Seong-gye. All of his descenda ...

in 1725, as they sought to promote their legitimacy by emphasizing their connection to Tangun and promoting his veneration. The temple's name was changed to Sungnyong Hall after they expanded its dedication to include Tongmyong, the founder of the kingdom of

Koguryo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...

. The temple was bombed by US forces during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

, which destroyed the caretaker's quarters and shrine storehouses. Today, only the main hall, ceremonial altar, and entrance gate remain of the shrine.

References

Naenara

{{coord, 39, 1, 28, N, 125, 45, 4, E, display=title Buildings and structures in Pyongyang National Treasures of North Korea 1429 establishments in Asia Buildings and structures completed in 1429