Korean Court and Temple Foods

Royal food, which also reflects
the rules of the universe

KOREAN FOOD (Court and Temple)

Korea, a country that boasts 5,000 years of history, was ruled by royal dynasties. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1920), in particular, an elegant and colorful culinary culture sprouted from the court. Today royal cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty is prized as the exquisite embodiment of a style and philosophy unique to Korean cuisine that has been designated as an important intangible cultural heritage.

FOODS REFLECTING THE RULES OF THE UNIVERSE

Korean royal cuisine developed around the traditional philosophy of eumyang ohaeng - the yin and yang forces, and the five elements of the universe. The universe can be described as the balanced co-existence of a cold and dark energy, and a warm and bright energy along with a harmonized combination of tree, fire, earth, metal and water.

Cold kimchi is complemented by hot gum (soup); meat is balanced with vegetables; products from the mountains form a parallel with products from the sea; and foods are carefully selected to include the five cardinal colors (obangsaek), in which green represents trees, red represents fire, yellow represents earth, white represents metal, and black represents water.

HEALING FOODS

One of the philosophical grounds for cuisine is yaksikdongwon, meaning food and medicine are of the same root. This philosophy was the foundation of royal cuisine during the Joseon Dynasty. “Jewel in the Palace” (aka “Dae Jang Geum”) - globally celebrated Korean drama dealing with Korean royal cuisine - well portrays this aspect. The heroine Jang-geum immerses herself in creating food that enhances health, and finding ways to cure the ill through food. In one of the episodes, Jang-geum finds out the Chinese ambassador to Joseon has diabetes and prepares for him vegetable-based dishes that are good for diabetics.

Goldongban (traditional bibimbap of the royal court)

FOODS PRESENTED TO THE KING

During the Joseon Dynasty, specialties indigenous to different regions and the first harvests of the seasons were presented to the king as offerings. These offerings included rice from Yeoju and Icheon, gochujang from Sunchang, abalone from Wando, tangerines from Jejudo, honey from Inje, oysters from Seosan, dried persimmon from Sangju, and crab from Yeongdeok and Uljin. Breakfast and dinner prepared for the king was called surasang, which was a 12-cheop (dish) table consisting of 12 different dishes in addition to bap (rice), guk (soup), kimchi, jang (condiments), jjigae (stew), jeongeol (casserole cooked on the table), and jjim (a braised dish). Through the foods set on the table, the king was able to see whether his subjects were having a bumper year or a lean year.

FOOD MADE FOR BOTH CULINARY & AESTHETIC APPRECIATION

Deformed and damaged vegetables and fish could not be used for the king’s meal. Only the best of ingredients could be included in accordance with the belief that it helped the king stay clear and right-minded. The chefs of the court carefully selected ingredients that were aesthetically representative and included only the most palatable parts to ensure the best flavors and presentation. Royal cuisine avoided the use of overly salty, pungent, and strong-smelling ingredients and spices. Instead, it focused on boosting and highlighting the flavor unique to each ingredient.

TEMPLE FOODS: AN APPRECIATION FOR ALL LIVING THINGS

Korean temple food has been prepared and consume fro more than 1,700 years. To a Buddhist monk, eating is more than enjoying good taste and nutrition; it is also a process of seeking the truth. Today, temple food is gaining renewed attention for being as close to nature as possible, and for reminding people of the essence of life.

THE AVOIDANCE OF MEAT AND THE FIVE SPICES

Korean temple food is distinguished by the philosophy that all living things depend on each other for existence. Non-vegetarain ingredients such as meat, fish, chicken, and eggs are prohibited. Also banned are osinchae, which are five spicy and pungent vegetables - green onions, garlic, chives, wild chives, and heunggeo (Scilla scilloides) - the stimulating flavors considered to interfere with Buddhist practices.

A NATURE-FRIENDLY AND HEALTHY DIET

Temple foods are often known for what they lack: not only meat and osinchae but also artificial condiments. Fresh seasonal vegetables, grains, beans, and a variety of fermented foods like kimchi, sauces, and seasonings are the staples of temple foods, all of which are a great source of quality protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and medicinal properties. Used in place of osinchae are mild-tasting seasonings like mushroom powder, kelp powder, sanchae (Xanthoxylum piperitum) powder, perilla seed powder, and fresh bean powder.

THE SIMPLE YET RICH TASTE OF NATURE

Due to the Buddhist inclination to eat seasonal vegetables and grains as close to the natural form as possible, temple cuisine has relied on basic cooking techniques that are simple and not greasy such as seasoning, steaming, roasting, picking and wrapping. Only one or two condiments are used to enhance flavors. The resulting dishes are simple and light, bringing out the natural flavor of the ingredients. The simple-tasting and low-calorie cuisine made of 100% vegetarian ingredients has come to represent a nature-friendly and healthy diet. 

BARU BONGYANG

Baru gongyang (literally, "wooden bowl" + "offering") is the communal meal tradition of Buddhist monks originating from the asceticism of Sakhamuni Buddha 2,500 years ago. This ritual meal begins with an expression of appreciation to everyone involved in the making of the food. Then, rice, soup, side dishes, and water are placed in one of four baru bowls. Gongyang means eating, and is the assertion of determination to find the truth and practice it in life; thus, the term signifies that eating is also a part of the Buddhist discipline.

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SOURCE: e-book “Hansik” on the Visit Korea webpage.

Korean Stone Art Museum: Symbolism and Stone

The Korea Times - March 25, 2016

Asiana, Monthly In-flight Magazine - November 2016

Korean Heritage (web site)

At the Korean Stone Art Museum, all of the stones represent not only cultural art of the past but the symbolism of life beliefs as well!

Muninseok – stone figures representing Joseon literary officials. They are attired in official robes and winged hats or golden headgear (depending on statuary) and carrying a hol (an object held by courtiers when granted an audience with the king). These official garments were worn by courtiers when they participated in national occasions like the king’s wedding and in the national rite for worshipping the late kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty. During the Joseon era, a pair of stone officials was placed in front of a royal burial mound to serve as guardians of the king’s tomb, along with janggunseok and other animal-shaped stone sculptures similarly symbolizing protection of the graves against evil spirits.

Janggunseok – stone statue of military officers equipped with armor, a helmet and swords. Janggunseok and muninseok were placed in the foremost position in front of the grave mound of the king and together with animal-shaped stone sculptures they guarded the king against evil spirits. The demonic faces often engraved on the hilt of their swords and on the guardian’s shoulders represents warding off evil spirits and providing protection.

Dongja – “child attendants” were placed at a tomb of a person of exalted social class and were believed to serve as messengers of the gods. Therefore, these messengers each held or carried wish symbols—e.g. lotus flowers for prosperity and longevity, a bat symbolizing happiness and fertility, a fan for warding off evil spirits and bringing good fortune. Prayers to the dongja were believed to be realized.

Inside is a Hill of Prayers with a collection of dongja, each having a representative symbolic message

Outside is another dongja collection, with each dongja playing or participating in some mode of daily life—e.g. holding traditional instruments, holding kitchen utensils or playing traditional games. These instrument carvings are also seen on beoksu.

Dongjaseok (not to be confused with dongja, the child attendant) is the stone figure of the dongja. Found in and around Seoul, these sculptures were placed before the graves of high-ranking government officials or members of the royal family, except of high-ranking kings and queens, during the 16th – 18th centuries. Wearing plain clothes at times and other times cloaked in heavenly robes and double-knot hairdos, they were believed to connect the world of the deceased with that of the mourners. They stand obediently and submissively in front of the graves.

Dongja were deemed to serve various gods in Taoism, the Buddha in Buddhism, and the occupants of the graves in Confucianism. Therefore, the shape and role of dongja vary from grave guardian to village guardian, depending on the religious thought. The early child attendant images were highly decorative and vibrant as shown by Buddhist works, but they were gradually superseded by simpler and more austere images under the influence of Confucianism. The statues were often combined with muninseok, or stone statutes of civil officials, after the 17th century, resulting in the disappearance of their original characteristic features.

Beoksu – the stone version of the wooden jangseung (yin and yang guardians), which were placed at the entrance of a village as guardians to frighten away demons and ward off evil spirits and illnesses from penetrating the community. Since beoksu were thought to possess superpowers that could bring good fortune and prevent troubles, people prayed to them in the hope of making their wishes come true.

Though beoksu drove away evil spirits, they did not have a scary look, nor did they have a standard appearance. Various forms with candid and often humorous faces reflected people’s traditions and regional beliefs and practices. 

Some beoksu held pipes as the pipe is a symbol of tranquility and prosperity. And there is the legend of the manpasikjeok, a pipe from Silla, in which people believed that, once the pipe was played, the country would not experience any conflicts. Similarly, playing the pipe was believed to subside waves, a belief also dating back to the Silla Dynasty. Other beoksu had turtles carved on them; in folk belief and Taoism the turtle symbolizes good health, fertility, and longevity and so is one of the 10 traditional longevity symbols. Others held a crane, another longevity symbol and also with auspicious indications, a sickle symbolizing harvest and abundance. or a sword, the symbol of protection. Others simply had a house carving on them, the nest of prosperity and representing the microcosm. During the later part of the Joseon Dynasty, as the incidence of smallpox worsened every year, people started to have a folk belief that beoksu, a Korean traditional totem post, would keep them away from smallpox. Some beoksu even had the character ho(虎) for tiger carved on them, which embodied the villagers’ wish for good health. 

Each house had a carved beoksu, a Korean traditional totem pole, signifying the prosperity of a village community. Beoksu stones are representative of the common people and therefore were more carefree and humorous, and often representative of the character of the regions where they were carved.

Jangmyeongdeung – a stone lantern was placed to light up a graveyard. Its spiritual function for the deceased was to pray for eternal life and enlightenment in the heaven. According to Joseon dynasty (1392 – 1910) law, only high-ranking officials were allowed to place the lantern at their grave mounds. Symbols appear on the sides, e.g. a bat symbolizing happiness and fertility, a cloud for immortality and abundance.

Mangjuseok – stone pillars placed on each side of a grave

Hamabi – dismount markers. Markers such as this one, which commanded “all officials to dismount from their horses” as a show of respect, were placed at the entrance to a palace or the royal ancestral shrine of Joseon Dynasty. Depending on their rank, officials were required to dismount at a specific number of paces before the entrance, e.g. senior officials were required to dismount 10 steps before it, mid-ranking officials 20 steps, and low-ranking officials 30 steps. 

Prayer for rain stone – a dragon-engraved stonework used in rain rituals. As dragons were symbolically portrayed as the “god of water” in many Eastern cultures, precipitation rituals were held in the presence of a dragon-engraved stonework or in front of a dragon-shaped rock or well.

Stone Buddha – the statue of Buddha made by civilians showing austere and natural beauty

Deva King (Vajradhara) – one of the guardian deities in Buddhism, usually positioned to the left and right of temple gates to repulse evil spirits

Picture Credits:

While I took many pictures while at the Korean Stone Art Museum, I didn't get a representative shot of all of the categories listed above, so to be consistent in providing example pictures, I've only posted picture carefully clipped from the Google Arts & Culture collection for the Korean Stone Art Museum, so all photo credits go to them.

About the collection, it was first launched under the name of the Google Art Project on 1 February 2011, with the goal of collecting high-resolution images of artworks housed in partner museums around the world and creating a cyber platform with "walk through" features, providing information on galleries and artworks. By April 2012 the art project platform had signed agreements with 151 museums in 40 countries, and in 2016 the Korean Stone Art Museum was added to the online digital collection. As of the end of December 2018, 45 museums in Korea have had representative collections digitalized and posted on the Google Arts & Culture collection, the revised name the Google Art Project. The Korean Stone Art Museum is one of these 45!

Minhwa (Folk Painting) Overview

Source

Lecture Topics:

What is Minhwa?

Types of Minhwa

Morando 모란도 (Paintings of Peonies)

Minhwa Practice

Shaman Festival, Gyeryongsan

Hippie Korea tour group organized a trip to the "princess festival" (as translated online ) at Gyeryongsan, Gyeryongsan has been regarded as a sacred mountain since ancient times, and documented as such since the Silla Dynasty. During the Joseon Dynasty XX temple on Gyeryongsan positioned strategically and geomantically-speaking between Mt. Myohyang to the north and Jiri Mts to the south was dedicated to the mountain, which thus became its national guardian. The mountain also created a unique aspect of Korean Buddhism, the "sanshin prayer" which is making hopes and expressing wishes to the mountain god. For civilians, the mountain god was the object of praying for fertility and the birth of a son, and for shamans the mountain god is an objective source of energy. Shamanic practices have been central to this mountain culture and, until the Japanese colonial period when many traditional Korean cultural expressions were prohibited, were conducted annually here. 

After the colonial period, shamanic practices were quickly reinstated and Gyeryongsan is arguably one of the strongholds of Korean shamanism. However, with the influences of modernism and on-going dynamic culture changes the people of Gyeryongsan Jarak Village have changed their ceremony and incorporated it into a festival that invites tourism. That said, it is still a type of national ceremony.

So a busload of international people descended on the festival, and the locals were delighted. Several special farmers' dances had been prepared, but the best dancing was done by a group of elderly villagers, mostly men over 60, who pounded out the beat with great enthusiasm, although always in sync. They had real character! I've heard a lot of farmers' drum groups but these guys far excelled all others because they played like they felt the music, and they danced raucously while playing like the act of sharing music was a wild and enervating experience. Well, I'm convinced it was for them, and by extension to all the viewers as well! And like in all Korean traditional performances, there is no barrier between the performers and the audience, and so the audience was naturally expected to participate in the dancing, and yes the drinking of makgeolli too ... which large numbers did!

The festival performance included role play between historical characters, had a reenactment of a gut (exorcism), included a women's dance representing the dignity and properness of the upperclass, and between performances the audience was fed ddeok for comensal eating and plied with makgeolli for the same purpose.

The entrance to the festival site with jangseung appropriately standing to fend off evil. In traditional times the jangseung, the yin-yang couple, were positioned along the roads the led into villages. They were the sentinels of the village and thought to ward off evilness with their ugly faces.

best drumming group ... really warming the audience up!

By popular request at the end of this particular day at the festival, the elderly-men (mostly) drummers were requested to pound out their invigorating beats again!

A beautiful display of real food for this country festival!  Of late, I've been seeing plastic foods and sweets because of food expense and the subsequent waste of ceremonial food so this display is quite impressive.

The pig, especially a smiling pig, brings good luck to shamanic festivals.

The large basin in front of the pig is filled with makgeolli, and people with petitions come up and dip a bill of money, typically W10,000, into the makgeolli and paste it onto the pig. Unfortunately the wind was blowing and the bills kept flying off the pig ..... does this mean that luck or one's wishes fly away? Hmm, didn't ask.

A very rich display of wealth for the ceremony presented here! Plus, displaying the lucky smiling pig!
Fortune will shine on this village!

The Royal Tombs of Joseon Dynasty

Jinny Hwang Inhee presented on the Royal Tombs of Joseon. She is an expert and has made an in-depth study of the Joseon Dynasty royal tombs, and in her expressive slide show she explained many of the characteristic features of the tombs. Jinny Hwang Inhee, a graduate from the Civics Education Department, Ewha Womans University, spoke in Korean and Kim Jaebum, a RAS Council member, provided English translation. Jinhee is a writer and an educator. Since 2013 she has been serving as President of the Durumari History Education Institute.

A write-up of her presentation is as follows: 

The Joseon Dynasty, the last period in Korean history before the Japanese annexation, was founded by General Yi Seonggye in 1392 and forcibly annexed to the Japanese Empire in 1910. While the dynasty lasted for 519 years, 27 kings and 45 queens reigned, including the last two with the title of “Emperor” with their empresses in the Daehan / Korean Empire. In all, 42 Joseon royal tombs including two in Gaeseong, presently North Korea, are preserved, virtually all that were built. The 40 of them located in South Korea are registered by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage not only for the aesthetic value of their sculpture but also for the entirety of their preservation. 

It is also amazing to note that the royal ancestral rituals jerye have been observed continuously for 623 years. The main Jeonju Yi family Jongyagwon had to overcome difficulties following the demise of the dynasty to continue the ritual at the graves, while that held at the main shrine of Jongmyo, which is now held once on the first Sunday of May each year, is also a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

JOSEON DYNASTY

• last of the Korean traditional dynasties
• founded by General Yi Seonggye in 1392
• 27 kings & 45 queens
• from 1392 - 1910, a span of 519 years
• royal tombs - a graveyard exclusive for kings and queens

Joseon Royal Tombs

• 42 tombs in total = 40 in South Korea + 2 in Gaeseong, present-day North Korea
• the 40 tombs in South Korea are UNESCO World Culture Heritage, and they are protected for their aesthetic value and must be preserved in their entirety
• all within 44 kilometers of Seoul, the capital

• 2 in Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do

• ? in Yeongweol, Gangwon-do 

(click to reach the interactive map on the location of the 42 royal tombs)

FUNERAL

Ancestral Rites

• Jongyagwon, for the main Jeonju Yi family
• rites at royal tombs continued even during Japanese occupation
• Jongmyo Jerye 

• 1st Sunday of May each year

• UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

• continued for over 600 years

King or Queen Dies

• establish gukjangdogam
• place corpse in jaegung and keep it at binjeon
• observe rites and mourn for 5 months
• no preservatives or cooling facilities
• cultivate juniper for incense

Constructing Tombs

• select site
• form mound and excavate 3 meters deep
• make room for stones or lime walls
• stone sculptures to decorate
• build jeongjagak at entrance
• erect hongsalmun gate 

(read more about tombs and their terms)

Burial and Rites

• 5 months after demise
• take soul in shinju back to the palace
• rites in honjeon every morning and evening for 3 years
• move shinju to Jongmyo
• royal name, the myoho, is given
• queen's soul to Jongmyo 3 years after king's death

Location and Feature

• best location: big mountain to the north, low hills to the south, views to the east and west
• features differ between each era based on:

• state law

• extent of royal power

• political circumstances

• economic conditions

• topography of the site

Basic Structure

• jaeshil at entrance
• geumcheongyo bridge
• baewi

Chamdo: Path for Worship

• long stone path for hongsalmun
• left: shindo - soul, tomb owner
• right: eodo - lower status on up to ancestors
• soul-tablet in yellow cloth on shindo

Staircases

• left: luxurious patterns for souls
• right: without ornaments for kings
• down staircase behind the palace
• soul to neungchim to fall quietly to sleep, no stairway to come down

Jeongjagak

• exclusive for royal tombs (if at other tombs, people arrested and killed as traitors)
• entrance and exit:

• direction decided and must connect to chamdo

• enter from the east: sunrise, beginning, birth, spring, etc.

• leave toward the west: death, extinction

Smaller Annexes

• subokbang - on right before jeongjagak; for tomb keeper and night duty
• suragan - royal kitchen on left; prepare food and offerings
• bigak - a little further inside and on the right; tombstone etching on whose tomb

Sachoji or Gang

• hill behind jeongjagak
• unique style of Joseon royal tombs
• 2 meanings of gang:

• tank for storing vigor streaming into the soil

• demonstrate dignity as power

• hiking precluded - somewhat open to the neungchim at the front

Museogin and Munseogin

• stages divided by stones on top of sachoji
• lower stage: museogin and maseok - have warrior-shaped generals with swords
• middle stage: munseogin and maseok - have officials, most of whom are scholars
• interpretation: "The pen is mightier than the sword" meaning literary preference over military 
• reign continues posthumously
• variations in garments by king:

• museogin placed only in royal tombs

• civilian graves considered treacherous

Neungchim

• top stage - burial mound neungchim
• gokjang:

• walls and roof tiles surrounding 3 sides

• sun, moon, stars

• resemble palace buildings' back walls

• royal tombs as epitomes of the palace

Seogmul and Honyuseok

• seogmul - in front of gokjang

• yangseok - sheep = obedience; repel evil

• hoseok - tiger = loyal; patron neungchim

• honyuseok - in front of neungchim

• for offerings in ordinary graveyards

• "stone where the soul plays"

Goseok and Mangjuseok

• goseok - stones supporting honyuseok look like drums

• guimyeon - faces of ghost or goblin

• mangjuseok - on each side of honyuseok: "observing stone poles" with several hypothesis about their use:

• sign for soul from body to find neungchim

• device to harmonize yin and yang

• instrument to hold vigor from being scattered 

• columns a division between this world and the next

Seho and Jangmyeongdeung

• seho embossed on stone poles

• shape of ear with holes

• developed into animal shapes

• some not like tigers but wizards

• jangmyongdeung to honyuseok

• to pray for souls of the departed

• shape altered in each era

Conclusion

• scale gradually shrank - later kings were more pragmatic
• initial period of the kingdom:

• conscripted manpower 5,000 for each tomb

• construction work - up to 5 months

• mobilized personnel to carry food

• construction bothered people

• great agony on people in Gyeonggi where a large number of royal tombs have been built

• their endeavor and perseverance enables us to possess World Cultural Heritage today

Books Published:

Other notes:

• gukjangdogam - nation-wide royal funeral 

• In inclement weather when the body began to smell, the court spread juniper branches.

• 일월성신 - sun, moon, star decorations on the wall that surrounds the tombs

• 선장릉 - When UNESCO came to evaluate the tombs as a future UNESCO World Culture Heritage site, the Korean government didn't want to show the 선장릉 because there was no body inside. Eventually they did and it was highly regarded, especially as it was on very valuable land.

• The Silla and Koryeo Dynasty tombs were traditionally built on flat ground, but in the Joseon Dynasty, tombs were built on the top of artificial mounds.

• Today, there are three places where royal ancestor worship are held - the dates:

• 1st Sunday of May (solar calendar)

• each ancestor's memorial day