Daksil Village in Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk, has long been renowned for its propitious geomantic conditions. Its shape reminiscent of a hen hatching its eggs has been considered extremely auspicious.

Perhaps thank to this favorable geomantic environment, Daksil Village has produced many illustrious men of letter and scholar-officials.

Chungjae Kwon Beol, a scholar-official of Joseon and a loyal courtier of King Jungjong, was also a native of Bonghwa.

The house built by Kwon Beol centuries ago, where the current heir of his lineage lives, is excellently preserved. The house fronted by a crescent-shaped arched gate consists of an anchae and a sarangchae, distributed in a square plan; which is characteristic to Yeongnam-area upper-class Joseon homes.

Past the small side gate on the stone boundary wall lies Chungjae, Kwon Beol’s study. This is the place where Kwon Beol spent his evenings conducting his famous research into moral philosophy and studying to achieve his personal spiritual growth.

Behind the study is an open pavilion known as "Cheongamjeong." The pavilion sits in the middle of a pond and is accessed through a stone bridge.

The pavilion houses numerous calligraphy pieces by famous mid- and late Joseon personalities such as Toegye Yi Hwang and Misu Heoh Mok, in addition to Kwon Beol's own.

Cheongamjeong served as a seminar hall and a social venue for Yeongnam-based literati. As one steps into this pavilion bathed in quaint elegance, one almost gets the impression of hearing Joseon men of letter reading out loud their Confucian classics.

The lineage heir's home is thronged with visitors, as relatives came from far and near to attend the memorial ceremony for Chungjae Kwon Beol.

(Interview) "Before the memorial ceremony, extended family members greet each other and ask after each other's health."

Today's memorial ceremony is a special one called "bulcheonwi." Bulcheonwi is a special privilege conferred by the king on certain prominent figures who made great contributions to the country so that upon their death, their spirit tablet can be housed in a shrine on a permanent basis, beyond the customary limit of four generations.

Having an ancestor who was granted a bulcheonwi status is considered an honor for a family clan. Families having such an ancestor are therefore proud to hold a bulcheonwi ceremony.

Given the importance of this ceremony, food offerings are prepared with particular care. Hearty and flavorful dishes are prepared by the wife of the lineage heir, according to traditional family recipes handed down over many generations, with the help of female members of the extended family clan.

Male members of the family clan are responsible for adding final touches to sacrificial offerings and ensuring their correct presentation and placement. Descendants are expected to use the utmost care when preparing the altar for an ancestral rite as through preparing meals for living ancestors.

Shortly before midnight, all participants change into a ceremonial outfit and spiritually readying themselves for the rite. When all participants have gathered, each is assigned a role, and the prayer text is drafted.

Before the beginning of the ceremony, the bulcheonwi tablet is brought from the shrine. The transportation of the bulcheonwi tablet takes place in a solemn atmosphere by strictly observing the required protocol and etiquette.

The ceremony proper starts with all participants bowing to the spirit tablet. Next, the first libation is made, followed by the reading of the prayer text.

After the second and third libations, the goblet is filled to the brim; which is a ritualistic act known as "cheomchak."

Next is sapsi, which is the act of sticking a spoon into the ancestor's rice bowl. For hammun, the period during which the ancestor is expected to enjoy the meal in privacy, a folding screen is set up in front of the altar, and all participants lie prostrate for a brief while.

At the completion of sasin, during which participants bid farewell to the ancestor, the spirit tablet is taken back to the shrine.

A bulcheonwi ceremony is an amazingly complex ritual. What does this ritual really signify for the descendants of Kwon Beol?

(Interview): We don’t just think of it as a memorial ceremony. We consider it an opportunity to learn more about who our ancestor was as a person.

The bulcheonwi ceremony, the symbol of the lasting power of family tradition and honor, is likely to continue to be performed in the Kwon household for a long time to come. As long as people take pride in their ancestral legacy, there is a hope for great traditions of the past to live on.