Namseongje Memorial Hall

About this place

Namseongje is a ritual hall (jaesil) built to commemorate Jeong Seup-myeong (?-1151), a Goryeo civil official and the founding ancestor of the Yeongil Jeong clan, with the courtesy title Hyeongyangong. In 1722, descendants built a memorial altar at the grave site to perform ancestral rites, and in 1742 a memorial altar and stone statues were newly constructed at the current location. A commemorative stele was erected in 1751, and the ritual hall itself was completed in 1752. The hall was rebuilt and expanded over the centuries, reaching its current form of 14 rooms completed in 1808. The main gate, east and west quarters, and ritual hall remain today, and every April the Yeongil Jeong Clan Association holds the founding ancestor's memorial rite.