Yun Yang-gye’s House, Chungju

This house was built in 1873, the tenth year of King Gojong, by Yun Yang-gye, a byeongma jeoljedowi (a military garrison officer). A stream flows in front of it, and low hills enclose it at the back. Originally one entered the sarangchae through an inner gate set into the main gate and the haengnangchae, but since both the haengnangchae and the wall between them have since collapsed, one can now walk straight into the sarangchae after passing through the main gate. The layout of the buildings is unusual. A broad yard lies at the front, and centred on the 一-shaped anchae, the alaechae (lower quarters) stands at a right angle to its west, while the sarangchae stands to the east, almost parallel with the anchae. Unlike the usual arrangement, in which the sarangchae stands blocking the anchae, here it sits set apart to the east of the anchae, like a separate annexe. Not only is it unusual for the sarangchae and anchae to be arranged in a single line like this, but it is also almost unheard of for an alaechae as large as the anchae itself to stand separately in the inner courtyard. Alongside this unusual layout, the structure and scale of the sarangchae are also distinctive: it is somewhat smaller than the anchae, giving it more the feel of a separate outbuilding. The floor plan of the anchae, too, is unusual: although basically 一-shaped, its right side connects to the daecheong hall and projects forward by two bays to form the geonneonbang. This room is considerably larger than a typical geonneonbang, and because it connects both to the daecheong and to the storeroom extending further to the right, it is thought to have served, in practice, for more than simply a geonneonbang. Although the house was built in the mid-nineteenth century and is therefore relatively late in date, it shows a free, loosely arranged layout in this inland central region, in contrast to the standardised arrangement of anchae and sarangchae typical of the central west-coast area. As such it is a good example of how layout conventions differed by region, giving it scholarly value. This heritage site is generally open to visitors, but access may be restricted at times due to the personal circumstances of the owner or others.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Chungju, Chungbuk

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산