Seongyojang House, Gangneung

This is the residence of a Joseon-period aristocratic family. It was built when Lee Nae-beon, a native of Jeonju, moved to the area; at a time when Gyeongpoho covered a much larger area than it does today, the site lay in Baedari village (Seongyo-ri), where people once crossed the water by boat, and the house took its name Seongyojang, meaning "boat bridge manor" (船橋莊), from this. It has a structure that lacks almost nothing found in a traditional house, including the main women's quarters (anchae), the men's quarters (sarangchae), the servants' quarters (haengnangchae), a detached annexe (byeoldang) and a pavilion (jeongja). Rather than being built all at once to a single plan, it grew through successive additions over the course of daily life to reach its present form. The anchae is known to have been first built by Lee Nae-beon in the 1700s. As in other upper-class Joseon houses where a large extended family lived together, its kitchen area was made spacious, and despite the overall scale of the house it retains a modest, unpretentious feel typical of ordinary dwellings. Dongbyeoldang, an L-shaped detached building for the exclusive use of the master of the house, is connected to the right of the anchae and was built by Lee Geun-u in 1920. The sarangchae, called Yeolhwadang, was built by Lee Hu in 1815, the fifteenth year of King Sunjo, and is said to take its name from a phrase in Tao Yuanming's Gwigeoraesa ("The Return"). Between the anchae and Yeolhwadang there once stood Seobyeoldang, used as a study and library, though it no longer survives. Hwallaejeong, which stands in, beside and above a large artificial pond to the south of the outer courtyard beyond the main gate, was built the year after Yeolhwadang. It is an L-shaped pavilion-style building whose stone-pillared floor extends out over the pond. Because not all the buildings were built at the same time, the complex lacks some sense of unity and cohesion; but by setting the free-standing buildings against the foot of a low hill and keeping the structure of each building modest, it gives off an unforced, generous atmosphere. The many household articles held here are also valuable material for understanding the everyday customs of people in the Gangneung region in former times. ※ This heritage site is generally open to visitors, but viewing may be restricted for personal reasons of the owner and others.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gangneung, Gangwon

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산