Exclusive "Remembering the Forgotten Master Craftsmen of Hwaseong Fortress Construction"... 'Nameplate Enshrinement Cultural Festival' to Be Held

[News S = Reporter Lee Min-jung] 'Ija Geun-no-mi' 'No Cha-dol' 'Kim Gae-no-mi' 'Jeon Gwang-se' 'Soe-go-chi'...

These individuals worked as carpenters, stonemasons, plasterers, tile-wall craftsmen, blacksmiths, dog-tile craftsmen, painters, and saw craftsmen during the construction of Hwaseong Fortress approximately 230 years ago.

A total of 1,821 craftsmen participated in the construction of Hwaseong. The 'Hwaseong Seongnyeok Uigwe,' which recorded the entire process of Hwaseong's construction, contains the names of 2,197 people including these 1,821 craftsmen and 376 administrative officials of the Hwaseong Seongnyeok Office.

However, as time has passed and Hwaseong has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting many domestic and international tourists, few people remember the efforts of these craftsmen.

Even fewer remember the names of these common artisans who built Hwaseong under the direction of King Jeongjo, the wise ruler of the Joseon Dynasty.

In response, the Hwaseong Research Institute came forward, with the support of Paldalsa Temple under the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and the Suwon Merchants Association.

The '2024 Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Craftsmen Nameplate Enshrinement Cultural Festival' held on the 23rd is a unique event to commemorate and honor the efforts and spirits of these craftsmen.

The event will be held in two parts.

In Part 1 (1:00 PM - 1:30 PM), a traditional memorial service will be held at Seongsin Temple on Paldalsan Mountain. The group will then proceed down to Hwalyeongjeon Hall at the Hwaseong Haenggung Palace to report to King Jeongjo, and lead a street march with nameplates and a traditional brass band through Workshop Street to Paldalsa Temple.

Part 2 (2:10 PM - 3:30 PM) is the nameplate enshrinement cultural festival held at Paldalsa Temple, presided over by poet Jeong Su-ja.

Following a recitation of poet Kim Woo-young's poem 'Though you were not invited to that place,' a traditional fan dance performance will be followed by a memorial ritual praying for the rest and peaceful rebirth of the craftsmen.

Choi Ho-un, director of the Hwaseong Research Institute, stated, "Because Hwaseong exists, Suwon has become a city of UNESCO World Heritage today and a tourist destination visited by people from around the world," and added, "The Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Craftsmen Nameplate Enshrinement Cultural Festival was conceived with the heart to not forget the efforts of the craftsmen who built Hwaseong and to pass this memory down to future generations."

The head priest of Paldalsa Temple also said, "I hope many citizens will attend and share in this meaningful time at the '2024 Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Craftsmen Nameplate Enshrinement Cultural Festival,' which the Hwaseong Research Institute, local merchants, and Paldalsa Temple are jointly hosting," and added, "I hope that Suwon City will prepare a shrine to honor the nameplates of these individuals."

Meanwhile, the nameplate to be enshrined at Paldalsa Temple is being carved by Kim Chung-young, a calligrapher and former director of the Hwaseong Research Institute, using a ginkgo tree from Paldalsa Temple. Kim expressed enthusiasm, stating, "Going forward, I will also carve the names of all 2,197 people involved in Hwaseong's construction recorded in the Hwaseong Seongnyeok Uigwe, as well as the names of figures who created and restored Hwaseong or had it inscribed as a World Heritage Site, including King Jeongjo, Yu Hyung-won, Jeong Yak-yong, Yi Byeong-hee, and Shim Jae-deok."