GRAND BANQUET FOR THE SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY OF LADY HYEGYEONG AT BONGSUDANG HALL

THE DAY CAME for the birthday banquet for Lady Hyegyeong, the highlight of the royal procession. If previous events in Hwaseong were designed to encourage Confucian scholars and the military, the birthday banquet was planned to please the royal family.

The celebrations were held at Bongsudang Hall at around eight forty-five. Lady Hyegyeong’s seat was prepared in front of the north wall of the king’s residence, and the king’s seat was placed east of his mother. For Lady Hyegyeong, a lotus-patterned cushion was placed on the floor, surrounded by a folding screen featuring ten symbols of longevity. For the king, a leopard-patterned cushion was prepared, with a vividly coloured folding screen positioned behind.

While the court music piece entitled ‘Yeomillak’ (‘Joy of the People’) was being played, Lady Hyegyeong in full dress was guided to her seat by a court lady, and the king in military attire also went to his seat. When they sat down, incense was burned and the music stopped playing. A napkin-offering rite was performed. The superintendent of Jeongniso, Seo Yong-bo, had brought a napkin from outside the tent and delivered it to a court lady by way of a court eunuch. The court lady knelt down and placed the napkin before Lady Hyegyeong while ‘Yeomillak’ was again being played. This was followed by the rite for offering food and flowers. All participants, including the king, made a deep bow and stood up.

The wine-offering rite was next. When the king offered a cup of wine and expressed his gratitude, Lady Hyegyeong drank the wine, saying, ‘I share the joy with His Majesty’. The king returned to his place, bowed three times, and wished for the longevity of Lady Hyegyeong, saying, ‘Cheonse, cheonse, cheoncheonse!’ (‘A thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!’).