Spirit Chamber (replica)

Jongmyo Royal Ancestor Shrine
Seoul, Korea

This replica chamber illustrates the layout of the real ones. At the front of the room, offering tables are laden with vessels that hold the ritual offerings of food and drink. At the rear of the room, there are typically three spirit tablets: for a king at left, a queen at center, and a prince at right. Each tablet is pierced with a "spirit hole" through which the spirit can interact with the celebrants and participate in the rites. These were held twice a year in Yeongnyeongjeon, and five times a year in Jeongjeon.