Gyeseodang Head House, Bonghwa

This house faces south at the foot of a hill covered with pine forest. It is said to have been built in 1613, the fifth year of King Gwanghaegun of Joseon, by Seong I-seong (1595–1664), sobriquet Gyeseo, a civil official of the mid-Joseon period. Seong I-seong passed the civil service examination and served as magistrate of six counties; renowned for his integrity, he was appointed royal secret inspector on three separate occasions. The sarangchae, or men's quarters, is presumed to have been later enlarged or rebuilt. A gate quarters stands at the far end of the lower courtyard, and above it, on higher ground to the north, the sarangchae and anchae, the women's quarters, are joined into a single square-shaped house. Passing through the gate brings one into a fairly spacious sarang courtyard, with the middle-gate quarters on higher ground to the west opposite. The sarangchae stands to the east; passing through the middle gate to its west leads to the anchae. A shrine is enclosed separately by its own wall to the north-east. The anchae and sarangchae here show features distinct from other houses. The anchae is notable for its many storage rooms (dojangbang), and while the sarangbang is usually built as a single-depth structure, here it was built double-depth, bringing a major change to the wing structure of the anchae. Although the anchae has been somewhat altered, it retains the old appearance of the square-shaped houses of the northern Gyeongbuk region, and is valuable material for research into the historical development of housing. This heritage site is generally open to the public, but visits may be restricted for personal reasons of the owner or others.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산