Nampyeonghyanggyo Local Confucian School

A hyanggyo is a local Confucian school built by the state to hold memorial rites for eminent Confucian scholars and to provide Confucian education and moral instruction to the local populace. Nampyeonghyanggyo was built in 1427, the ninth year of King Sejong, outside the east gate. It was moved to Jagogae in Namil-ri in 1534, the twenty-ninth year of King Jungjong, and repaired in 1545, the first year of King Injong. It burned down during the Jeongyu War (the Japanese invasion of 1597) and was rebuilt at its present location in 1600, the thirty-third year of King Seonjo, with the cooperation of Sungkyunkwan and the people of Nampyeong. It has since undergone several further repairs to reach its present form. The surviving buildings are the Daeseongjeon (main shrine hall), Myeongnyundang (lecture hall), an outer three-bay gate and an inner three-bay gate. Nampyeonghyanggyo stands on a slope: passing through the outer gate one finds the Myeongnyundang, the space for learning, together with the Dongjae and Seojae, the east and west student dormitories; passing through the inner gate behind leads to the Daeseongjeon, the space for rites, together with the Dongmu and Seomu, the east and west subsidiary shrine halls. This follows the traditional layout of a school in front and a shrine behind. During the Joseon dynasty the school received land, slaves and books from the state to teach its students, but after the Gabo Reform of 1894 its educational function ceased, and it now holds only memorial rites in spring and autumn.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Naju, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산