While I waiting at the Jongmyo Shrine, the action was taking place elsewhere - at the Gyeongbukgung Palace. Here, the king was escorted into a royal palanquin and accompanied by civil and military officials both in front and back. The king would be surrounded by carriage attendants carrying parasols and fans, as well as a band. Leading the procession were honor guards bearing swords, spears, and flags symbolizing the king. According to the Korean tourism site, over a thousand people would proceed from the palace, go through downtown Seoul via Sejongro, Jongro 1, 2, and 3 streets, and then arrive at Jongmyo.
Finally the sounds of the band announced the king’s arrival. Once through the gate at Jongmyo, the band and most of the procession went left, while the king’s palanquin kept on going straight. Heeding the advice of a kind Korean professor of English, I kept my spot in the straight ahead path and was able to photograph the palanquin procession, including the descendant of the royal dynasty.
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