Dancers in rows of eight by eight perform the munmyo ilmu, as part of the seokjeon daeje at Sungkyunkwan, on March 22. / Photo by Jon Dunbar



By Jon Dunbar

This Wednesday, Confucianists nationwide will commemorate Confucius with a grand-scale ceremony.

Seokjeon daeje, literally "laying out offerings ceremony," will be performed at hyanggyo, or Confucian schools, across the country and the Confucian temple Munmyo.

The temple is located at the entrance of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), a modern university with roots going back to 1398. Students once studied Confucius' teachings here to prepare for the civil service exam.

Sixty-four red-robed dancers will perform the mass dance called munmyo ilmu, raising their hands to the heavens in slow, deliberate moves. They're accompanied by the otherworldly munmyo jeryeak, performed by 64 musicians on ancient stone and metal chimes and stringed and woodwind instruments.

"Music and ritual are according to Confucianism civilizing agents," said Boudewijn Walraven, a visiting professor at SKKU's Academy of East Asian Studies. "The music and dance therefore do not aim to excite or provide sensuous delight."

During the two-hour performance, officiants bow and make sacrifices at an altar inside the main temple building. The ritual resembles jesa, an ancestral funerary rite still performed by millions of Korea.

The front gate will be opened at 10 a.m. to let in members of the public along with the spirits of departed Confucian scholars. Volunteers will be present to stop guests from treading on the path through the middle of the temple grounds, reserved only for spirits during the ritual.

"The ritual has been performed without interruption ever since Sungkyunkwan came into existence, which as far as I know is unique as far as this kind of Confucian ritual is concerned," said Walraven. "Although Confucius has been venerated in China and Japan as well, the tradition has not been as continuous as in Korea."

This ceremony commemorates 39 historical figures of East Asia, namely the Five Sages including Confucius, 10 of his disciples and 24 other men of virtue. Eighteen Koreans are included, such as Confucian scholars Yi Hwang and Yi I.

The ancient philosopher Confucius, born 2,567 years ago, had a profound impact on East Asian society, his teachings influencing the establishment and operations of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) here. Seokjeon daeje was once carried out across the region, but now is only preserved here.

In 2011, the Korean government nominated the ceremony for UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, but the international body rejected it. In 2014, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon pledged the city's commitment to earning UNESCO recognition for the 618-year-old Sungkyunkwan Confucian academy and temple.