Where would you like to go sightseeing in Cheongdo today? The past few days Cheongdo has been flooded with crowds of people who have come to see the Bull Fighting Festival. Oh, I forgot to tell you all, anybody born in the year of the Ox (2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949) gets free admission into the stadium to see the bull fights.
To start off today’s sightseeing how about visiting an ancient scholar’s residence in Sinji-ri, Geumcheon-myeon, the Cheongdounganggotaekmitmanhwajeong, Important Folklore Materials #106?
An ancient mansion, which was first built by Park Jung-eung in 1726 during the reign of King Yeongjo in the late Joseon period.
Later in 1824 during the reign of King Sunjo, Park Si-mun, a Confucian scholar whose pen name was Ungang, extended the house into its present size.
This house is exceptionally large for a private house. On a spacious lot, there are nine nicely arranged buildings and several yards.
The buildings include the anchae (women’s quarters), the sarangchae (master’s quarters), the jungsarangchae (master’s inner quarters), the daemunganchae (main entrance section), the three gobangchae (storage quarters), the haengnangchae (servant’s quarters) and the sadangchae (family shrine).
The main gate of the house has a hanging signboard, which reads Unganggotaek (old house of Ungang) written by Kim Chung-hyun, a famous calligrapher.
Of all the buildings, the sadang (family shrine) is located deepest inside the house and the other buildings form a rough rectangular shape of two groups, one centering on the anchae and the other centering on the sarangchae.
The main living room of each house building is equipped with a chanmaru (small wooden floor in a corner of a kitchen used to set the table) and a chanbang (pantry).
Daecheong (wooden-floored hall) also has a changwang (a pantry to keep grocery in summer).
At the end of the inner yard are located the storerooms for grains, alcoholic beverages and fermented foods.
The Anhaengnangchae (inner servant’s quarters) is equipped with a mill and a toilet while the jungsarangchae has a study, an ondolbang (underfloor-heating room) and a floored room.
The daemunganchae (main entrance section) of the Unganggotaek is in the shape of a straight line.
On the left side of the main gate is a toilet and on the right side are a room, a storeroom and a cowshed.
Sarangchae(Master's quarters) Important Folklore Materials #106-1
Past the main entrance of the Unganggotaek, one can find the keunsarangchae (large master’s quarters) located on the left side.
The L-shaped house building consists of a big room called keunsarangbang and a daecheong (wooden-floored hall) set in a row, and two more rooms called dwitsarangbang at the back of the keunsarangbang. The dwitsarangbang are connected to angotganchae (inner storage quarters). The dwitsarangbang were mostly used by the married women of this family when they met with men from their own parents’ families.
There are small wooden verandas in front of the dwitsarangbang and in front and at the back of the keunsarangbang and daecheong.
Jungsarangchae(Inner master's quarters) Important Folklore Materials #106-1
The jungsarangchae (inner master’s quarters) of the Unganggotaek was used as a private school.
There are a study, an ondolbang (underfloor-heating room) and a floored room.
The anchae (women’s quarters) of the Unganggotaek, is in the shape of a straight line. From the left are the kitchen, main living room, the daecheong (wooden-floored hall) and the ansarang.
The main living room is equipped with a chanmaru (small wooden floor at a corner of a kitchen used to set the table) and the chanbang (pantry). The Daecheong (wooden-floored hall) also has a changwang (storage to keep groceries in summer). At the end of the inner yard are a storeroom and a barn.
The haengnangchae (servants’ quarters) of the Unganggotaek is located on the left side of the anchae (wife’s quarters) in the shape of a straight line. From the left are the mill, the storeroom, wooden floor, a room and a kitchen. Behind the mill is a toilet for the servants.
In the front yard of the haengnangchae is a tteokpandol, a square-shaped stone used for making rice cakes.
Sadangchae(Family shrine)
Manhwajeong Important Folklore Materials #106-2
It is an annex to the Unganggotaek. Park Si-mun (1814 - 1875), a scholar of the Joseon Dynasty, built the annex in 1856 during the reign of King Cheoljong for studying and giving lectures.
The building includes a pavilion called Manhwajeong, the haengnangchae (servant’s quarters), a shrine and a storeroom.
This place is huge isn’t it? The very well planned layout of the buildings in this residence clearly distinguishes the facilities and spaces separating the men from the women, and the masters from the servants.
Actually there are a few other old houses but they are not as big as this place.
Cheongdoimdangnigimssigotaek(Kim Clan House in Imdang-ri, Cheong-do) Important Folklore Materials #245
The Kim Old House is a large residential compound containing seven buildings within its walls.
It belonged to an eunuch who once worked in the palace for the king.
As a sign of undying loyalty to the king, the house was built to face the unfavorable direction of northwest, in the direction of palace.
The seven buildings consist of the main residence, two reception buildings, the large shed, the smaller shed, the shrine and the gatehouse.
From the sarangchae, master’s quarters that served as a reception room and a study, all those who enter through the gate are easily visible.
On the other hand, access to the anchae, or women’s quarters or residential building, are situated to ensure extra privacy.
The compound is a valuable example of studying the lifestyle of eunuchs to kings.
Do you remember what is a seokbinggo? Well, the one in Cheongdo is the second largest and oldest seokbinggo among the ones in existence today. I think the construction is also different from the ones we’ve seen so far.That’s why I thought it would be nice to take a look.
Cheongdoseokbinggo (Stone ice storage in Cheongdo) in Dongcheon-ri, Hwayang-myeon Treasures #323 was built during the reign of King Sukjong( 1674-1720) of the Joseon Kingdom(1392-1910). 
The stone stele near the entrance which was erected in 713 is inscribed with the details of how and when it was constructed and the manpower mobilized to do it. The slanted floor is 14.75mlong and 5m wide. A drainage ditch in the center of the floor leads to a stream outside the storage.
The ceiling has collapsed, but now only four rainbow shaped stone arches, connected to both side walls, remain.
The storage space stretched from the east to the west, while the entrance was in the west.
Going inside, along the stairs, the steep bottom is located. A waterway is in the middle, while a hole is made in the east so that the water runs off a brook.
There is still another temple we haven’t seen yet, the Daejeoksa Temple. It began as a hermitage with a small thatch-roofed structure built in the Joseon period (1392-1910) on the long-deserted site of a major Silla temple.
The Geungnakjeon or the main prayer hall, is believed to have been built in the 18th century. It is a three by two kan structure. Multi-cluster brackets are placed not only on the columns, but also on the outer tie beams between the columns. Of special note is its two-stepped foundation, the upper part of which is decorated with relief carvings in lotus and tortoise designs and a continuous linear carving of an H-shaped pattern. The sides of the staircase are carved with a writhing dragon design.
This is something which is rarely seen in other buildings with a gabled roof. In addition the hall's latticed ceiling is two-tiered which is done by structuring it on the main beam at the front and back and on the collar beam at the center. The framework of the roof is not reinforced by pillars.
The Daejeoksa Temple is said to have flourished tremendously only after a monk named Seonghaedaesa renovated the temple and enshrined Buddha statues in 1689. The Geungnakjeon Hall, presumed to have been rebuilt after the mid Joseon period, symbolizes the Western Paradise, or Buddhist version of Utopia.
Uncommon and distinctive in form, style and structure, this building is of great significance to the study of the architecture and sculpture of the Joseon period.
The Hyanggyo, or Confucian academy, was an important public educational institute that also functioned as a Confucian shrine during the Goryeo(918-1392) and Joseon(1392-1910) periods. This one, called Cheongdohyanggyo, was first established in 1568 at Gopyeong-dong. Also known as Hwayanghyanggyo, it was moved to Hapcheon-dong in 1568, and finally rebuilt here in 1734.
Eight buildings remain in the compound which includes the Daeseongjeon, or the main shrine, the Myeongnyundang, or lecture hall, two dormitories, two minor shrines, the gate to the shrine facilities, and a pavilion-like gate called Sarakru
In most cases, the lecture hall stands in a row with the shrine. But in this hyanggyo, each sits side by side
The Myeongnyundang is of a double-wing like bracket style whereas the Daeseongjeon is of a simple bracket style without any decorative elements.
Memorial tablets of 16 Confucian scholars including Seok Hong, An Yu, Yi Hwang, Yi Yulgok, Choe Chiwon, and Yi Eonjeok are enshrined here.
This was the guest house of the county government of Cheongdo-gun during the Joseon period(1392-1910).
At that time, a guest house was not only a facility in which visiting government officials were accommodated but also where the local officials gathered every first and 15th day of the month to pledge loyalty to the king in front of a tablet symbolizing the reigning monarch.
Dojugwan, so named because Cheongdo-gun was also called Doju, was built in 1670 during the reign of King Hyeonjong(1659-74).
The main hall, which is three by four kan is a structure in a wing-like bracket style with a gabled roof. The six by four kan Dongheon is annexed to the main hall.
It appears much taller than the other building because of its imposing roof and pillars which are taller than usual.
Ancient steles erected in praise of the area's magistrates and one erected by the Prince Regent Yi Haeung, or Daewongun as he is commonly known, to reject appeasement with foreign powers during the reign of King Gojong(1863-1907) are in a line in front of the building.
Well, guess that’s about all for now. Join me again in Cheongdo next post as there are still things to do and see there. Bye for now.
Special thanks and appreciation to the following:
Photos and articles © courtesy
Timothy M. Ciccone.
http://english.cheongdo.go.kr/ http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/ http://jikimi.cha.go.kr/English
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