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A reenactment of the opening of Sungnyemun Gate takes place in central Seoul’s Jung District on March 15. (pool photo)

Starting Tuesday, Seoul will be holding historical reenactments of the opening and closing of Sungnyemun Gate, one of the four major ancient gates in the city.

The ceremony is one of the rituals that was performed by guards tasked with defending the capital’s walls during the Joseon Dynasty.

Seoul has been reenacting some guard ceremonies, such as the changing of the guards, since 2005, but this is the first time it is reenacting a gate opening and closing ceremony. The city said that it had picked the gate opening and closing ceremony based on historical texts, including the Unified Great Code, so that Seoulites could get an up-close look at one of Korea’s National Treasures and develop a better understanding of the cultural customs of the Joseon Dynasty.

The ceremony will take place Tuesday through Sunday, with the doors being opened at 10 am and closed at 3:30 pm each day.

A reenactment of the opening of Sungnyemun Gate takes place in central Seoul’s Jung District on March 15. (pool photo)

A reenactment of the opening of Sungnyemun Gate takes place in central Seoul’s Jung District on March 15. (Yoon Woon-sik/The Hankyoreh)

A reenactment of the opening of Sungnyemun Gate takes place in central Seoul’s Jung District on March 15. (Yoon Woon-sik/The Hankyoreh)

By Yoon Woon-sik, senior staff writer

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