EXCLUSIVE "Remembering the Forgotten Master Builders of Hwaseong"...Name Plaque Enshrinement Cultural Festival to Be Held

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Lee Min-jung] 'Ija Geun-no-mi,' 'No Cha-dol,' 'Kim Gae-no-mi,' 'Jeon Gwang-se,' 'Swae-go-chi'...

These were people who worked as carpenters, stonemasons, plasterers, tile and brick masons, blacksmiths, dog butchers, painters, and saw craftsmen during the construction of Hwaseong Fortress approximately 230 years ago.

A total of 1,821 master craftsmen participated in the construction of Hwaseong. The 'Hwaseong Seongnyeok Uigwe,' which records the entire process of Hwaseong's construction, contains the names of 2,197 people including these craftsmen and 376 administrative officials of the Hwaseong Fortress Construction Office.

However, as time has passed and Hwaseong has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists, few remember the hard work of these master craftsmen.

Even fewer remember the names of these common people, the craftsmen who built Hwaseong under the direction of King Jeongjo, the illustrious ruler of the Joseon Dynasty.

The Hwaseong Research Society stepped forward, and the Buddhist Seon School Foundation Paldal Temple and the Suwon Merchants Association joined in their cause.

The '2024 Suwon Hwaseong Master Craftsmen Name Plaque Enshrinement Cultural Festival' to be held on the 23rd is a unique event to remember and honor the dedication of these craftsmen.

The event will be held in two parts.

Part 1 (1:00 PM~1:30 PM) will feature a Koyuje memorial service at Seongsin Temple on Paldalsan. Afterward, participants will descend to Hwalyeongjeon at the Hwaseong Palace to pay respects to King Jeongjo, lead a street parade with name plaques and a traditional band through the Craft Workshop Alley to Paldal Temple.

Part 2 (2:10 PM~3:30 PM) is the name plaque enshrinement cultural festival held at Paldal Temple, moderated by poet Jung Su-ja.

Following the recitation of poet Kim Woo-young's poem 'Though You Were Not Invited to That Place,' a Bara dance performance and a Chondo ritual ceremony praying for the peace and salvation of the craftsmen will follow.

Choi Ho-un, chairman of the Hwaseong Research Society, stated, "Because Hwaseong exists, Suwon has become a city of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a tourist destination visited by people from all around the world. The 2024 Suwon Hwaseong Master Craftsmen Name Plaque Enshrinement Cultural Festival was born from the desire to remember the dedication of the craftsmen who built Hwaseong and pass it down to future generations."

Venerable Gak-so, the chief priest of Paldal Temple, also said, "I hope many citizens will attend the '2024 Suwon Hwaseong Master Craftsmen Name Plaque Enshrinement Cultural Festival' jointly held by the Hwaseong Research Society, local merchants, and Paldal Temple to share in this meaningful time. I also hope that the City of Suwon will prepare a shrine where their name plaques can be enshrined."

Meanwhile, the name plaques to be enshrined at Paldal Temple are being carved by wood carver Kim Chung-young, former chairman of the Hwaseong Research Society, using a ginkgo tree from Paldal Temple. Kim expressed enthusiasm, saying, "I will continue to carve the names of 2,197 people involved in the construction recorded in the Hwaseong Seongnyeok Uigwe, as well as the names of figures such as King Jeongjo, Yu Hyeong-won, Jeong Yak-yong, Yi Byeong-hee, and Shim Jae-deok, who built, restored, or had Hwaseong designated as a World Heritage Site."