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Suwon Hyanggyo
other sites in Suwon
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Suwon, Korea |
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Originally located in Wau-ri, Bongdam-myeon, this hyanggyo, or state-sponsored Confucian academy, was moved here and enlarged around 1795, during the reign of King Jeongjo (1776-1800) when Suwon Fortress was being constructed. The layout of the facility, with the Myeongnyundang Lecture Hall in the front and the Daeseongjeon shrine to the rear, is typical of most hyanggyo. The Daeseongjeon, which houses the memorial tablets of Confucius and Mencius, has seven beams, a gabled roof, and each capital (column head) is topped with an ox-tongue shaped double-winglike bracket. Extended rafters are attached to the ends of the rafters of the curved eaves to improve lighting. The Dongmu and Seomu pavilions, or east and west shrines, house the memorial tablets of Korean scholars. The hipped-and-gabled Myeongnyundang has apparently undergone many reconstructions and repairs.
This hyanggyo is not normally open to the public, but if one wants to go inside, just knock on the door of the building to the right of the hyanggyo. The gatekeeper works (or lives?) there during the day and is ready to show visitors around.
(Site designated Suwon Cultural
Properties Material #1)
Bibliography:
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2001 Tim Ciccone