| Maeng
Family Haengdan (mid 14th century onward) other
sites in Asan |
Asan, Korea |
Click on an image to enlarge
On the grounds of the Maeng family "Haengdan" (House of the Gingko Trees) is a portion of an old house originally built in the 1330s. This is the only surviving residence in Korea known to have been built in the Goryeo era (918-1392). It has been in the Maeng family for over 600 years, ever since General Choeyong gave the house to his grandson Maeng Sa-seong (1360-1438). Maeng served as the first and second deputy state councillor under King Sejong (1418-50). He was noted for his honesty and integrity and was also famous in his time for being extremely filial toward his father, Maeng Huido.
The original form of the house was first modified in 1482 when the inner quarters was repaired, and again in 1642 the estate was renovated. In the mid-twentieth century, scholars began to take serious interest in the house when it was discovered that the brackets on the inner frame were arranged in a style prevalent in late Goryeo. In 1970 the Korean government purchased the property and demolished the living quarters that had been added to the house in the recent past. Since then, the anchae (inner quarters) of the original house has stood empty as a protected cultural relic.
Near the Haengdan is an ancestral shrine that honors several generations of the Maeng family. In front of it are two gingko trees over 600 years old.
Bibliography:
All images copyright 2004 Tim Ciccone (photographed March 2004).
Signposts on site.
Cultural Properties Administration