Academy, Seoul <Daeseongjeon Shrine, Dongmu and Seomu Shrines, Main Gate, and Myeongnyundang Lecture Hall>

The Munmyo (Confucian Shrine) in Seoul was first built in 1398, the seventh year of King Taejo of Joseon. It burned down in 1400, the second year of King Jeong Jong, and was rebuilt in 1407, the seventh year of King Taejong, but this building too was destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasions of 1592–98. The buildings standing today were rebuilt after that war. The Munmyo is broadly divided into two precincts: the Daeseongjeon precinct, comprising the ritual spaces of Daeseongjeon Shrine and the Dongmu and Seomu shrines, and the Myeongnyundang precinct, comprising the educational spaces of Myeongnyundang Lecture Hall and the Dongjae and Seojae dormitories. Daeseongjeon Shrine was built in 1601–1602, the 34th–35th years of King Seonjo, and enshrines the spirit tablets of Confucius and the Four Sages — Zengzi, Mencius, Yan Hui and Zisi — together with the Ten Wise Disciples of Confucius, the Six Worthies of the Song dynasty, and eighteen renowned Korean Confucian scholars. It measures five bays across the front and four bays along the side, with a hip-and-gable roof that forms the shape of the character 八 ("eight") when seen from the side. A low wall runs around the base of the two side walls and the rear wall, giving a sense of Chinese architectural technique. Facing Daeseongjeon Shrine are the Dongmu and Seomu shrines, which enshrine the spirit tablets of Confucius's disciples and of sages of China and Korea; they were built in 1603–1604, the 36th–37th years of King Seonjo. A wall running from the ends of the Dongmu and Seomu shrines encloses the site, separating the Daeseongjeon precinct from the Myeongnyundang precinct. Myeongnyundang Lecture Hall, the educational space, stands behind Daeseongjeon Shrine. Built in 1606, the 39th year of King Seonjo, it is divided into a central hall and wing rooms on either side. The central hall has a gable roof forming the shape of the character 人 ("person") when seen from the side, while the wing rooms have hip-and-gable roofs set slightly lower, expressing a hierarchy of status. The varying heights of the roofs and eaves, and the overall balance of the buildings, well express the distinctive character of Korean architecture. The Dongjae and Seojae dormitories, arranged lengthwise from north to south facing Myeongnyundang Lecture Hall, served as student quarters. The Munmyo and Seonggyungwan in Seoul served, during the Joseon dynasty, as the site for rites honouring Confucius and other sages and for Confucian education, and remain a place steeped in tradition and history that provides valuable material for the study of architectural history.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물