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Yeongsan Seokbinggo (Ice House)- 창녕 영산 석빙고 (昌寧 靈山 石氷庫) (18th century?)

Resembling an earthen tomb, this seokbinggo (ice house) was used as a means to supply ice in limited quantities during hot summer months. During the winter, large blocks of ice were packed into the underground chamber along with straw and sometimes sawdust. The natural insulative properties of the rocks and earth ensured that a fraction of the ice remained frozen year-round. Since this process was not very efficient and expensive to maintain, the ice would typically be enjoyed by the royal family when visiting the area or, more normally, by local elites.

The inside of the chamber measures 9.7 x 4.1 meters and the ceiling is 3.7 meters high. It was probably built by Yun Il, a local administrator during the mid-Joseon era (1392-1910).

In the satellite image below the traditional source of the ice--the stream running to the north of the icehouse--is clearly visible.

Address: 경남 창녕군 영산면 교리 산10-2. (Gyeongnam-do, Changnyeong-gun, Yeongsan-myeon, San 10-2).

Location

The approximate location of the ice house is 35.456628' N, 128.538546' E (WGS 84 map datum).