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CultureThe Little Travellers on the Roof

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Culture — Guardians of the Joseon Roof

The Little Travellers on the Roof

Five hundred years ago, the artisans of Joseon kept one task for the very end of every roof they raised. They worked clay into small figures and seated them in single file along the sloping ridge of the eaves, at the place nearest the sky. Those figures have names — and anyone in East Asia would know them at once.

BYTREND

Japsang figures standing in a row along the hip ridge of a Joseon palace roof in Seoul

Japsang on a palace roofline — travellers who set out for India and stopped, of all places, in Seoul.


01

The Last Thing They Made

Five hundred years ago, whenever the artisans of Joseon raised a roof, they kept one task for the very end. They would work clay into small figures and seat them in single file along the sloping ridge of the eaves — the place nearest the sky.

Those figures have names. They come from an old story that anyone in East Asia would recognise at once: the heroes of Journey to the West.


02

Pilgrims Who Stopped Here

A monk who set out for the far west in search of the Buddha’s scriptures, the resourceful monkey who guarded him, and their strange companions — a tale of one great journey, loved for close to a thousand years.

At the head of the line stands the monk, Tripitaka. Behind him the monkey Sun Wukong, then Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing — Samjang, Son Oh-gong, Jeo Pal-gye and Sa O-jeong, as they are called here.

Travellers who had been walking west to find scriptures somehow stopped, of all places, on the roofs of Joseon.

Travellers who had been walking west to find scriptures stopped, of all places, on the roofs of Joseon.


03

Because They Had Already Crossed Worse

The reasoning was simple. Pilgrims who had beaten back demons and crossed deserts and snowbound mountains would surely be equal to whatever ill fortune came down out of the sky.

So they were set on the halls of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and above the four great gates of the capital. Wherever a roof sheltered a king, or the fortunes of a country, they were there without fail.

Not every roof could carry them. The higher the standing of a building, the more travellers it was given — so that counting the figures on a roof told you what was happening beneath it.

Counting the figures on a roof told you what was happening beneath it.


04

Five Hundred Years at the Same Post

And then five hundred years. A dynasty set, wars passed over, palaces burned and were raised again — and they never left their posts.

Go to Gyeongbokgung today, or walk past Sungnyemun, and they are still there.

The next time you find yourself in an old palace, lift your eyes for a moment. Even as you take your photograph, the longest-serving gatekeepers of Joseon are quietly facing the sky.


05

On the Roof: What You Are Looking At

Japsang are clay figures set along the hip ridge of the roof on buildings of high standing — the halls of Joseon palaces, the gates of the capital. They carry the meaning of byeoksa, the warding off of evil, and their number changes with the rank of the building. Gyeonghoeru Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung carries the most: eleven.

Journey to the West is the great East Asian novel completed in sixteenth-century China. The monk Tripitaka travels west to India with the monkey Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, defeating demons along the way to bring back the Buddhist scriptures. It is still being remade as film and animation today.


06

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the small figures on the roofs of Korean palaces?

They are called japsang — clay figures set in a row along the hip ridge of the roof on buildings of high standing. They were placed there to ward off misfortune, and they depict the pilgrims of Journey to the West.

Why does the number of figures differ from roof to roof?

The number follows the rank of the building. The higher the standing of what took place beneath the roof, the more figures it was given, so the count is itself a reading of the building’s importance.

Which building carries the most?

Gyeonghoeru Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung Palace, with eleven.

Are they really the characters from Journey to the West?

Yes. At the head of the line is the monk Tripitaka, followed by the monkey Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing.

Where can I see them in Seoul?

On the halls of Gyeongbokgung Palace and above Sungnyemun, the great south gate of the old capital. They sit high on the roofline, so the surest way to find them is to stop walking and look up.

Written by the CEO of ByTrend  ·  Published 21 September 2026  ·  Last updated 21 September 2026

ByTrend’s private cultural itineraries are built to read rooflines like this one with context, rather than walk past them.