Sungryong Hall is a shrine dedicated to the founding kings of ancient Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

 located in the center

Chung-guyok

Chung-guyŏk is one of the 19 guyok which constitutes the city of Pyongyang, North Korea. The district is located in the center of the city, between the Potong and Taedong Rivers, and is bordered to the north by Moranbong-guyok, to the northwest by Potonggang-guyok, and to the south by...

 of Pyongyang

Pyongyang

Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...

, North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

. It is listed as National Treasure #6

National treasures of North Korea

Designated national treasures of North Korea are tangible artifacts, sites, and buildings deemed to have significant historical or artistic value.-No. 1-50:-No. 51-100:-No. 101-150:-No...

.

History

Sungryong Hall was constructed in 1429 for the veneration of the mythical founder of the Korean nation, Tangun, and was originally called Tangun Hall.

The shrine was enlarged under the Yi dynasty in 1725, as they sought to promote their legitimacy by emphasizing their connection to Tangun and promoting his veneration. The temple's name was changed to Sungryong Hall after they expanded its dedication to include Tongmyong, the founder of the kingdom of Koguryo.

The temple was bombed by US forces during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

, which destroyed the caretaker's quarters and shrine storehouses. Today, only the main hall, ceremonial altar, and entrance gate remain of the shrine.