Soudang House, Uiseong

Sanun Village, where this old house stands, lies between Geumseongsan Mountain to the north and the Changideul Plain to the south; the Yeongcheon Yi clan settled here during the reign of King Myeongjong of Joseon, and the village flourished as a single-clan settlement. The village retains more than ten traditional houses, including Ungokdang and Soudang; Ungokdang was built by Yi Ui-bal, pen name Ungok, the elder brother of Yi Ga-bal, who built Soudang. Soudang is a late-Joseon house of a yangban (scholar-gentry) family of the Uiseong region, consisting of two areas: the main residential quarters and the ansarang-chae, which serves as a detached annex. The residential quarters comprise the outer gate quarters, the women's quarters, the men's quarters and the inner gate quarters. Passing through the straight outer gate quarters, one finds the L-shaped women's quarters and the L-shaped men's quarters joined with the inner gate quarters to form an overall open square layout. The men's quarters is said to have been built in the early nineteenth century by Yi Ga-bal, pen name Sou, and the women's quarters is said to have been rebuilt in the 1880s. The ansarang-chae, known as the detached annex, has a pond and a small wood laid out in front of it, creating a relaxed and picturesque setting. A distinctive feature of Soudang is that a separate earthen wall was built to the west of the central area formed by the women's and men's quarters, enclosing a spacious area in which a byeolseo garden (a retreat garden) was created. In addition, the arrangement whereby the women's quarters are entered only through an inner gate at the east end of the men's quarters reflects a characteristic feature of late-Joseon yangban houses. (Byeolseo has the same meaning as a present-day villa or retreat: a separate house built on a scenic site away from the main residence, for rest and recreation. In the Joseon period it was also called by other names with the same meaning.) Note: This heritage site is generally open to visitors, but viewing may be restricted for personal reasons of the owner or others.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Uiseong, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산