Gongjae House, Haenam

This is said to be the house where Yun Du-seo (1668-1715), pen name Gongjae, a scholar-painter of the late Joseon period, once lived. Yun Du-seo is known, together with Gyeomjae Jeong Seon and Hyeonjae Sim Sa-jeong, as one of the "Three Jae" of the late Joseon period, so called because each painter's pen name ends in the character "jae"; he was also the great-grandson of Yun Seon-do (1587-1671), pen name Gosan. It is said that Yun Seon-do built this house on a site considered auspicious by the principles of geomancy, but the sea winds were so fierce that he moved elsewhere, leaving his great-grandson Yun Du-seo to live in it. The exact date of construction is not certain, but the house appears to have been built in 1670, the eleventh year of King Hyeonjong, later occupied by Yun Du-seo, and repaired in 1811, the eleventh year of King Sunjo. At the time of construction it is said to have comprised forty-eight kan (bays), including a gate quarters and a men's quarters, but today only the main house, storehouse, shed and shrine remain. The main house, built on a U-shaped plan, has a gabled roof whose side profile resembles the character for "person"; the south-facing roof of the storehouse to the north-west is a hipped roof with a trapezoidal front. To block the effect of the sea wind, the roofs were built low and deeply covering rather than raised high, and the walls were finished in plaster or wood panelling depending on the use of each room. As the former home of a literati painter, it is a traditional house of long standing that preserves the building techniques of the late Joseon period well, and it exudes an even more antique atmosphere for standing near a neighbouring village of ten tile-roofed houses belonging to the Haenam Yun clan. This heritage is generally open to visitors, but access may be restricted owing to the personal circumstances of the owner or others.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Haenam, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산