Seonjamdan Altar Site, Seoul

Basic information

Designation

Historic Site No.83

Category

유적지

Era

성종 2년

Designated year

1963

Location

성북구, 서울특별시— 서울 성북구 성북동 64-1번지

Coordinates

37.593730, 126.999381

Seonjam worshipped Seoreung, an empress of the ancient Chinese Emperor, as a silkworm god to pray for a rich harvest of silkworm. Seonjamdan Altar is the place for holding a ceremony of Seoreung. This platform was first made in the second year of the reign of King Seongjong of Goryeo, and there is a terrace stone that is one-level lower to the south of it. King Sejong of Joseon encouraged farmers to raise a silkworm and to plant mulberry tree at a good place in each province. In addition, at least one silkworm-rearing room or more was set up to raise silkworm. Since then in the first year of the reign of King Jungjong (1506), the silkworm-rearing rooms scattered in each province have been consolidated in Seoul. The present Jamsil of Gangnam is the very place where the old silkworm-rearing rooms were gathered together. Since the set-up of the Seonjamdan platform, a ceremony had been held every March. Today, only the site remains because the tablet (the place for the silkworm god to depend on) was moved to Sajikdan, which is the altar to the guardian deities of the State.

Location