Sungnyemun Gate Guard Ceremony

The 'Sungnyemun Gate Guard Ceremony', which protects Sungnyemun, is closed on Mondays and runs daily from 10:00 to 15:40 otherwise. 'Pasu' means defending the walled capital and was one of the important military rites of the Joseon era. Defending the capital was the most important matter in Joseon, and it came to the fore all the more seriously through the Imjin War in the reign of King Seonjo and the later Manchu invasion. The guard ceremony was a Joseon military rite that linked the opening and closing of the capital's gates at injeong and paru with the patrol rites; considering its place and role within the central military system, it was no less important than guarding the palace walls. The ceremony proceeds as follows: the guards line up in front of Sungnyemun, their post; the geumnugwan announcing paru appears, after which the signals of the nagak conch and the nabal trumpet sound. On the command of the hogun officer, the guards carry out the gate-opening rite. The guard ceremony protecting Sungnyemun then begins, with the first and second guard units changing shift before the ceremony continues. Six changing ceremonies and guard ceremonies follow, after which, on the hogun's command, the guards carry out the gate-closing rite.