Lesson 4 Cultural Treasures
King Jeongjo’s Grand Procession
Hey there! Let me introduce you to a fascinating piece ____ Korean history.
Back on February 9, 1795, something remarkable happened in ____ of Changdeokgung Palace, where King Jeongjo lived.
There was quite a crowd gathered there to witness a very special procession that’s still talked about in Korea ____
Now, imagine this: more than 2,000 soldiers, hundreds of horse riders, and lots of important officials, all marching alongside the ____ and his mother with 50 musicians playing traditional instruments.
When they crossed a bridge made of 36 boats on the Hangang River, you can ____ how that turned heads!
That must have been ____ ordinary people rarely saw.
Talk ____ a big event!
____ was not just about putting on a show.
No, ____ was serious business.
Lasting four days and covering 68 kilometers, the procession moved alongside the king and his mother as they made a ____ trip to Hwaseong Haenggung.
____ did all of this happen?
The first thing King Jeongjo had ____ mind was to show respect to his family.
It happened around his mother’s sixtieth ____
Back in the Joseon Dynasty, just ____ today, turning 60 years old had a special meaning.
And his father’s tomb was ____ Hwaseong Haenggung.
He was planning to hold ____ memorial service to honor his late father.
____ combining the two events, he was telling everyone how much family meant to him.
But wait. There’s more.
King Jeongjo was also making a statement about ____ Joseon Dynasty’s strength.
He dressed up like a military leader, wearing armor and ____ on a horse with his soldiers marching in perfect order.
It was a way of saying, ____ ready to protect our land.”
He was really serious about ____ the Joseon Dynasty a powerful and successful kingdom.
Now, here’s the twist: the ____ also had something to do with Hwaseong Fortress, which was being built.
In King Jeongjo’s mind were ____ plans for Hwaseong.
He wanted it to be a self-sufficient ____ with a strong military, farming, and trade as he hoped to make it the new capital, away from all the political chaos in Hanyang.
So King Jeongjo gathered the best talents, such as Jeong Yakyong, and let them bring together the finest architectural ____ of his time from both the East and the West to build Hwaseong Fortress.
There’s more to King Jeongjo’s ____
He treated his people well during the construction ____ the fortress.
They received fair wages and breaks during bad weather and were even ____ when they were sick, something that was unheard of at that time.
Back then, ordinary people were typically required to work on public projects without getting ____
Once people got wind of King Jeongjo’s plan, workers from all over the country came together in ____ rush.
____ in under three years was the project finished, though it was initially thought to take about 10 years.
Impressive, ____
Let’s go back to the procession.
The procession wasn’t just some fancy show for ____ people.
It was actually a way for them to get up close ____ personal with the king.
King Jeongjo set ____ a chance during the procession for common people to meet him and to share their concerns.
This was a big deal, especially for those who couldn’t read ____ write.
They didn’t have any other way to tell ____ king what was on their minds, so this was a direct line to him.
And here’s the cherry on top: through the rocession, ____ Jeongjo made government more accessible.
During that time, the government used to hold exams to hire officials ____ three years.
____ there weren’t many chances available.
____ added special exams during the procession, giving more people a shot at joining the government.
This ____ was innovative back then and made the government more diverse.
And guess what? King ____ didn’t forget a single detail.
He ____ sure everything was documented properly by creating records for the procession and the construction of Hwaseong Fortress.
These construction records were especially a lifesaver ____ the fortress was damaged during wartime.
They were even part of why UNESCO recognized Hwaseong Fortress ____ a World Heritage Site.
At first, the people at UNESCO ____ a bit unsure about recognizing Hwaseong Fortress as the real deal.
They weren’t totally convinced ____ was authentic.
But after checking out translated documents and comparing ____ with the restored fortress, they finally came around and agreed that the fortress had actually been restored just the way it was meant to be.
And among the records of the procession, there are these amazing ____
One painting, ____ Haengryeoldo, doesn’t just feature the king’s crew, but it also shows ordinary people watching along the road.
It’s a different ____ from the usual art of that time, which only focused on important figures.
So being kind to the people was a big deal for ____ of the Joseon Dynasty.
King Jeongjo’s 1795 procession and ____ Fortress stand as proof of that spirit.
Hwaseong is more than just a fortress; it symbolizes a king who cared ____ his people.
And this is a significant part of Korean ____ heritage.