Dongmyo Shrine (Donggwanwangmyo)

Dongmyo, formally Donggwanwangmyo, is a shrine to Guan Yu, a general of China's Three Kingdoms period. A Chinese general's shrine in the Joseon capital may seem odd, but it is a legacy of the Imjin War, the international conflict of the 1590s. It is the largest and best-preserved of the Guan Yu shrines that once stood in Seoul, and you can see its Chinese-style architecture and painted statues up close.

History: a shrine left by the Ming army

Ming Chinese commanders who fought in Korea during the Imjin War believed Guan Yu's spirit had helped them and built shrines to him in several places. After the war the Ming court asked Joseon to build one, and work began outside the East Gate in 1599, finishing in 1601, the 34th year of King Seonjo. The Wanli Emperor sent funds and a plaque in his own calligraphy. For Neo-Confucian Koreans, worshipping Guan Yu was an alien practice, and for a long time the shrine was kept up mainly for diplomatic reasons; only under King Yeongjo was it included in state rites. Seoul also had southern, northern and western Guan Yu shrines, but they were moved or demolished, leaving Dongmyo as the only one still on its original site. It was first designated a Treasure in 1936 and re-designated in 1963.

What to see

• 工-shaped roof: the main hall is two buildings joined front to back, so from above the roofs form the character 工 – a layout common in Chinese shrines.
• Brick walls: thick brick walls enclose the hall, with an outer ring of columns supporting the eaves, something rarely seen in Korean buildings.
• Statues of Guan Yu and his generals: the front room was used for rites, while the rear room holds statues of Guan Yu and his officers. Look for the two Guan Yu figures, one red-faced and one yellow-faced.
• Walls and courtyard: a stone-and-earth wall encloses the 9,315 m² compound.

A hidden detail

In October 2011, a cloud-and-dragon painting was discovered behind the Sun, Moon and Five Peaks screen that stands behind the gilt-bronze Guan Yu statue. After it was studied, it was covered again by the screen. A white porcelain bottle once used for offerings at the shrine is now in the Seoul Museum of History.

How it differs from a Korean shrine

Dongmyo follows a Chinese plan that is deeper than it is wide, and its rear and side walls are lavishly finished in brick. Set beside a typical Joseon shrine of timber posts and earthen walls, the difference is obvious. When Guan Yu rites entered the state calendar under King Yeongjo, the mood of the time – honouring the fallen Ming while looking down on the Qing – lay behind it. In 2014 the Seoul city government began designating 37 objects from the shrine as Seoul tangible cultural heritage.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: a short walk from Dongmyo Station on Lines 1 and 6 – the station is named after the shrine.
• Combine with: Heunginjimun Gate and the Naksan section of the Seoul City Wall are a little over ten minutes' walk away.
• Opening times: check current hours and closing days with Jongno District before you go.
• How to look: walk a full circle between the outer columns and the brick walls to study the brick patterns and bonding – details you rarely see in Korean buildings.
• Time needed: 20–30 minutes is enough for the compound.