Local Gentry Register (1774nyeon)

Yi Jung-hwan's Taengniji (An Account of Where to Live) contains the line 'Joseon injae banjae Yeongnam' (朝鮮人材半在嶺南) — 'half of Joseon's talented men were born in Yeongnam.' Jinju in particular produced so many notable figures that the Gang, Ha and Jeong clans all trace their family seat there, and the region saw a flourishing of published registers of names: the Yeongyean (蓮桂案) and the Hyangan (鄕案). The Yeongyean listed the names of Jinju-born men who had passed the state examinations, while the Hyangan recorded the names of Jinju scholars who combined learning with virtuous conduct. Descendants of those named in the Joseon-period Hyangan and Yeongyean built Yeongyejae Hall in Okbong-dong, Jinju, where they kept the registers with great care and regarded them as a mark of great honour. At Yeongyejae the descendants also held meetings to settle important matters within the county by common consent, and to advise the local magistrate when consulted. This material is valued as important evidence for examining the standing of the influential clans that shaped the Jinju region in the Joseon period, and the shifting balance of power among them; it was designated a heritage item in 2005. It was originally kept at Yeongyejae Hall in Okbong-dong, Jinju, but owing to the high risk of theft it has been held in trust since July 2005 at Mucheongak, the old-books room of Gyeongsang National University Library.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jinju, Gyeongnam

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산