Gwandeokjeong Hall, Jeju

Situated in the centre of Jeju City, Gwandeokjeong Hall is one of the oldest buildings on Jeju. The name 'Gwandeok' is taken from a phrase meaning 'archery is the means by which one observes great virtue', expressing the idea of keeping one's mind upright and cultivating fine virtue in everyday life. According to the Tamnaji, a local gazetteer, this pavilion was built in 1448, the thirtieth year of King Sejong, by the commissioner Sin Suk-cheong as a training ground for soldiers. It was renovated in 1480, the eleventh year of King Seongjong, by the magistrate Yang Chan, and has undergone repairs on several occasions since. The building standing today was repaired in 1969, but its original construction techniques are thought to date from around the seventeenth century. It measures five bays across the front and four bays along the side, with a hip-and-gable roof that, seen from the side, takes the shape of the character for 'eight'. The building is open on all four sides, and to support the eaves, beak-shaped bracket members project outward, arranged in pairs above each column. The board bearing the name Gwandeokjeong was originally written by Prince Anpyeong, the third son of King Sejong the Great, but this was lost in a fire; according to the Namsarok, written by Kim Sang-heon, the present lettering is instead the work of Yi San-hae, who served as Chief State Councillor under King Seonjo. The eaves were originally distinctive for their length, but in 1924 the Japanese, in the course of repairs, cut away a large part of them. Gwandeokjeong Hall is a representative example of pavilion architecture on Jeju Island and valuable material for the study of architectural history; the mural of unknown authorship painted beneath the main beam inside the building is also highly regarded as an outstanding work.

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Where it is

Region

Jeju City, Jeju

Designation

Treasure · 보물