Bonghwa Local Confucian School

A hyanggyo is a local educational institution established by the state to hold memorial rites for eminent Confucian scholars and to provide Confucian education and moral instruction to local people. Bonghwa Local Confucian School was first built during the reign of King Sejong of Joseon (r. 1418-1450) and rebuilt in 1579, the twelfth year of King Seonjo. It was subsequently repaired on several occasions; in 1950 it was used as a school, but this use was later discontinued. At that time it suffered severe damage, and it was repaired in 1975 by county magistrate Gwon Myeong-heum. Passing through the four-pillar gate that serves as the main entrance, one finds a pavilion used as a resting space. Behind it stands Myeongnyundang Hall, where Confucian students studied, flanked on either side by facing east and west dormitories where the students lived. To the rear left of Myeongnyundang Hall is an inner gate of three doors, within which stands Daeseongjeon Shrine. Daeseongjeon Shrine measures three kan across the front and three kan to the side, and enshrines the disciples of Confucius together with various sages of the Joseon period. Overall, the complex follows the layout typical of a hyanggyo, with the study area in front and the shrine behind. During the Joseon period the school received land, books and slaves from the state to educate students, but after the Gabo Reforms of 1894 it lost its educational function, and today only the memorial rites continue. It is a place of long tradition holding valuable materials for research into the local history of the Bonghwa region.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산