There are three garden ponds, Yeonji, made in the precincts of Jongmyo Shrine, the pond features a square shape and contains a tiny round islet at the center, representing the traditional world view that the sky is round and the earth is square. Ponds of this type were built in many architectural works related to the royal household of the Joseon Dynasty as a symbol that the Joseon monarchs ruled their land with authority endowed by the heavens. The pond also had two practical functions: storing water for use in case of fire and growing juniper on its islet to source incense for the ancestral rite.