Mongsimjae House, Namwon

Standing on the western foot of Jirisan Mountain, this house dates from the late Joseon period and is said to have been built by Bak Dong-sik (pen name Yeondang, 1753–1830). Although set in a mountain valley, the land around it is not particularly poor, as there are broad fields nearby. The house has an open 'ㅁ' (box) plan, built on sloping ground so that the sarangchae (men's quarters) and the middle-gate building stand at different levels. The gate building, topped with a tall, raised gate roof (sotdaemun), has a wooden floor in its western bay and two rooms with one wooden-floored bay to the east. East of the gate building is a lotus pond, and to its north a four-bay servants' quarters (haengnangchae). North of the haengnangchae, set on a raised platform, stands the sarangchae. Of its bays, the four from the west are rooms and the fifth is a wooden-floored room; the second bay has a firebox (agungi). The third bay carries a wooden plaque reading 'Mongsimjae', and its pillars are shaped octagonally. An unusual feature is that in the third and fourth bays a narrow side veranda extends out beyond the line of the pillars. East of the sarangchae is a three-bay middle-gate building, with a door set in the central bay and a stone stairway in front of it. The main house (anchae) stands north of the sarangchae; centred on its rooms and wooden-floored hall (daecheong), it has a two-bay kitchen to the west, one bay of which is a room, with a one-bay narrow veranda (toenmaru) further west — this section forms the west wing. The east wing has a two-bay daecheong, beside which is a floored room, and below that a further one-bay room; at the very bottom is a lower level containing a firebox, with an upper level built like a loft above it. A door was fitted at the front of the daecheong, and this building is a good example showing that this region, too, has examples of the type in which the front of the daecheong is enclosed. Note: this heritage site is generally open to the public, but access may be restricted due to the personal circumstances of the owner or others.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Namwon, Jeonbuk

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산