Yongji

This is the site of a stele and stele pavilion erected in memory of Choe Mun-han, son-in-law of King Chungsuk of Goryeo (r. 1313–1330). As the power of the Goryeo dynasty gradually declined and Yi Seong-gye rose to the throne, Choe Mun-han withdrew to Dumundong to preserve his loyalty to Goryeo, before later coming down to Gangneung. Having settled in his hometown with his wife, he would always ride on horseback to and from Songgyeong, worrying about affairs of state. One day, on his way back from Songgyeong, he tied his horse to a willow branch here and was washing his hands when the horse suddenly leapt into the pond, turned into a dragon, and vanished riding on clouds and mist. According to legend, this is how the place came to be called Yongji, meaning "Dragon Pond". The pond later fell into ruin but was restored during the reign of King Yeongjo of Joseon (r. 1724–1776), and it is said that Choe Mun-han's descendants later erected the Yongji Memorial Hall. Yongji is a pond of about 200 pyeong (roughly 660 square metres), with a memorial stele standing in its centre.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gangneung, Gangwon

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물