Royal Portrait Museum

[Gyeonggijeon Shrine; where the Portrait of King Taejo is preserved]

Opened on November 6, 2010, the Royal Portrait Museum is one of the newest attractions of Jeonju, located within the Gyeonggijeon Shrine. Royal Portrait Museum is a valuable museum as a new tourism resource of Jeonju as well as Gyeonggijeon Shrine and the Portrait of King Taejo, as well as other various high-class exhibitions to preserve, manage, and enhance the glorious cultural assets of Joseon royal family. The museum is comprised of one above-ground level and one underground level with an area of 1,193.71 square meters. The Portrait of King Taejo and six other king’s portraits (Portrait of King Sejong, King Yeongjo, King Jeongjo, King Cheoljong, King Gojong, and King Sunjong) are exhibited on the first floor. The portraits are preserved in temperature- and humidity-controlled cases. In addition, the museum houses History Hall, Palanquin Hall, a planned exhibition hall, resting area, management office and storage room for relics. Palanquin Hall exhibits Hyangjeong (Palanquin for Incense Burner and Case), Sinyeon (Palanquin for Royal Portrait and Palanquin for Mortuary Tablet), Chaeyeo (Palanquin for High Officials), Gagyo (Palanquin for Ritual Items) featuring Korea’s sole preserved palanquin. History Hall houses approximately 80 relices related to Gyeonggijeon Shrine and Jogyeong Shrine, ancestral ritual ceremony, building, and others relics. Since the museum's opening, it makes continual efforts to become a central place for Jeonju residents to fulfill their cultural feelings. The museum operates various program like exploring famous historic sites in Gyeonggijeon Shrine, hands-on programs such as a guard experience to protect the shrine, and duplicating Gyeonggijeon Shrine’s relics using traditional portrait-making techniques.