Mugwa House, Hapcheon

This house stands deep in the mountains, over 1,000 metres above sea level, on a ridge extending from Gayasan Mountain. It is said to have been built by Mugwa Yun Sa-seong (1557-1619), who served as a royal messenger under King Seonjo of Joseon, and is the birthplace of Yun Sa-seong's tenth-generation descendant, the independence activist Mansong Yun Jung-su (1891-1931). Passing through the raised solid gate at the centre of the gate house leads to a T-shaped sarangchae, or men's quarters, facing east. To the right of the sarangchae is a middle-gate wing, beyond which lies an L-shaped anchae, or women's quarters. Crossing the courtyard of the anchae brings one to the shrine, which is entered through a side gate beside the sarangchae. Building a gentry house in such a remote mountain setting is a rare choice; it appears to reflect the outlook of mid-Joseon scholars who, having witnessed the horrors of war after the Japanese invasions of 1592-98, wished to withdraw from the world, as well as their search, guided by feng shui, for an ideal utopian site. The house also reflects Neo-Confucian discipline in its use of the natural slope of the land, its carefully organised layout of buildings, and its strict separation of living spaces and pathways for men and women. In particular, the tall, pavilion-style wooden floor of the sarangchae well expresses the authority and dignity of a Joseon-period gentry residence, while the sturdy joinery and refined form of its wooden members, such as posts and beams, clearly show the characteristics of a mid-Joseon gentry house.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Hapcheon, Gyeongnam

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산