Main Hall of Gyeonggijeon Shrine, Jeonju

This is the main hall of Gyeonggijeon Shrine, which enshrines a portrait of King Taejo (r. 1392-1398), the founder of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).

The main hall is composed of a ritual section in the center and two auxiliary wings on either side. In the ritual section, there is a room in the rear for enshrining the royal portrait. In front of this room, there is a protruding roof, under and in front of which the rituals were performed.

There is a pair of wooden turtles attached to the front of the red gable of the protruding roof. This symbolically protects this wooden building from fire, because turtles live in the water and are believed to have longevity. There are also six water containers on the ground, which can be used in case of a fire.

The portrait of King Taejo that had been enshrined here was designated as National Treasure No. 317 in 2012. It is now being exhibited at the Royal Portrait Museum.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08