Fully illustrated in colour, here is the first introduction in English to one of Korea’s outstanding cultural assets – the banchado (‘painting of the order of guests at a royal event’) – relating to all those taking part (1800 people) in the eight-day royal procession to Hwaseong (Gyeonggi Province) organized by King Jeongjo in 1795 for the dual purpose of visiting his father’s tomb and celebrating his mother’s sixtieth birthday. The banchado is a fine example of the meticulous record-keeping of the period (known as uigwe – the subject-matter of this book being known as the Wonhaeng eulmyo jeongni uigwe) and the skills of the court artists at that time. In addition to the banchado illustrations, the Wonhaeng eulmyo jeongni uigwe contains extensive lists of all the participants in the procession, details of the workers and technicians involved, including their duties and wages. It even includes the different foods offered at meal-times, the quantity of ingredients and the costs. The author provides a full analysis of the context, planning, execution and significance of the event.

The author Han Young-woo, is emeritus professor of Korean history at Seoul National University, where he was also dean of the College of Humanities and director of the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies. In addition, he served as a distinguished scholar of the Hallym Academy of Sciences at Hallym University and emeritus professor at Ewha Womans University while also serving as dean of Ewha Academy for Advanced Studies.

Author’s Preface to the English Edition

Translator’s Preface

Names, Romanization and Footnotes

List of Figures

Introduction

PART I: JEONGJO LEADS A JOSEON DYNASTY RENAISSANCE

1. What Sort of King Did Jeongjo Dream of Being?

· The Ideal of Strong Royal Authority and a Nation for the Common People

· Promotion of Public Welfare

2. What Hwaseong Meant to Jeongjo

· King’s Spirit and Ambition Declared to the World

· Paradise – Where Every Home is Rich and All People are Happy

· A King Who Even Knew the Names of the Workers

3. Why Jeongjo Made Frequent Visits to Hwaseong

PART II: THE BANCHADO

4. The Banchado – A Visual Record of the Grand Visit to Hwaseong

PART III: ONE-YEAR PREPARATION FOR AN EIGHT-DAY TRIP

5. ‘Luxury and Extravagance Shall Be Punished Rigorously’

6. Building New Roads and Bridges

· Construction of New Roads Connecting Hanseong with Hwaseong

· Pontoon Bridge Designed by the King

· Groundbreaking Innovation in the History of Bridge Construction

7. The Eve of the Procession

PART IV: EIGHT-DAY RECORD OF THE ROYAL PROCESSION TO HWASEONG

8. The First Day (Ninth Day of the Intercalary Second Month)*

· The Grand March Starts from Changdeokgung Palace at Daybreak

· Stopover at Noryang Rural Palace and Siheung Rural Palace

9. The Second Day (Tenth Day of the Intercalary Second Month)

· The Royal Procession Proceeds in Bad Weather

· Sudden Spring Rain Heralds the Arrival of the King at Hwaseong Rural Palace

10. The Third Day (Eleventh Day of the Intercalary Second Month)

· The King Pays Respects to Ancient Confucian Scholars at the Confucian School of Hwaseong

· The King Recruits Talented People at Nangnamheon Hall

· Rehearsal for Lady Hyegyeong’s Sixtieth Birthday

Banquet at Bongsudang Hall

* This is an intercalary (leap) month. In 1795, there were thirteen months in all and the intercalary month came between the second and the third months. In this text, both the ‘second month’ and ‘intercalary second month’ appear. The one which is marked as the ‘second month’ is the ‘second lunar month’ (lunar February). [TN]

11. The Fourth Day (Twelth Day of the Intercalary Second Month)

· The King Mourns for His Deceased Father at Hyeollyungwon Tomb

· Nocturnal Training for the Royal Guards Garrison at Seojangdae Watchtower

12. The Fifth Day (Thirteenth Day of the Intercalary Second Month)

· Grand Banquet for the Sixtieth Birthday of Lady Hyegyeong at Bongsudang Hall

13. The Sixth Day (Fourteenth Day of the Intercalary Second Month)

· The King Gives Rice to the Poor and Rejoices with Them at Sinpungnu Gate

· Feast for the Elderly at Nangnamheon Hall

· The King Inspects the State-of-the-Art Fortress at Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion

· King’s Archery at Deukjungjeong Pavilion

14. The Seventh Day (Fifteenth Day of the Intercalary Second Month)

· The Itinerary of the Return from Hwaseong to Siheung

15. The Eighth Day (Sixteenth Day of the Intercalary Second Month)

· The King Talks with the People before the Royal Palanquin in Siheung

· The King Compliments Everyone’s Hard Work at Noryang Rural Palace and Finally Returns to the Capital

Epilogue

Appendix I: Details of the Itinerary of the Royal Procession to Hwaseong

Appendix II: Major Figures of the Retinue: Titles at the Time of the Royal Procession in 1795

Glossary

Chinese Characters for Romanized Chinese and Korean Words