Jeong Si-yeong’s House, Hwaseong

This large house occupies an auspicious site surrounded by low hills, laid out lengthwise from north to south. An inscription on the raised gate records that "the gate was erected in 1887, the twenty-fourth year of Emperor Gojong," but the women's quarters and men's quarters are presumed to have been built about fifty years before the gate. The main gate faces not the front but the north side, so at first glance the house does not appear large, but it in fact comprises more than fifty kan (bays) - a considerable size. Passing through the main gate one enters directly into the men's-quarters courtyard; a long row of servants' quarters extends along the left of the yard, and the men's quarters stand to the right. At the end of the yard opposite the men's quarters is a middle gate leading to the women's quarters. Passing through it, one finds the women's quarters, U-shaped and open at the front: around the central wooden-floored hall are, on the left, a kitchen, main room, and tea room, and on the right, a kitchen, side room, and wooden floor. A distinctive feature is that a small back room behind the inner men's-quarters room connects discreetly, by way of a rear wooden floor, to the hall of the women's quarters - a technique commonly used in the houses of scholar-official families. The long row of servants' quarters blocks the front of both the women's and men's quarters, forming the inner courtyard and the men's-quarters courtyard, and the gate quarters are connected to this row. The back garden, a cosy living space for the women of the household, was fitted with a well and a platform for earthenware jars and used as an outdoor space for domestic life. Persimmon and pine trees planted around the house continue on into the hill behind it, creating a beautiful composition immersed in nature. Overall the floor plan forms the shape of the character 月 (moon), and the house shows the typical appearance of a yangban residence. Note: this heritage site is generally open to visitors, but viewing may be restricted for personal reasons on the part of the owner or others.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Hwaseong, Gyeonggi

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산