This tile-paved platform is where the king and the heir apparent stood waiting until it became their turn to perform their duty at the royal ancestral rite. The platform consists of the King’s Stand and the Crown Prince’s Stand. Traditionally, such platforms were made for various royal and state occasions temporarily; however, that this particular platform was built as a permanent structure because Jongmyo Shrine was a state institution whose sole function was to honor the royal ancestors of the Joseon Dynasty.