Dongmyo

Dongmyo (which literally means "Eastern Shrine") is a shrine in metropolitan Seoul built in honour of the 3rd century Chinese military commander, Guan Yu. The Joseon government embarked on the construction in 1599 and completed the work in 1601. The Wanli Emperor of Ming provided funds for the construction of the shrine, along with a plaque with his own calligraphy. 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 Guan Yu as a deity in Korea until Ming Dynasty military officers brought the custom during the military campaigns against Japan. As Neo-Confucian fundamentalists,...