Dobongseowon Confucian Academy and Gakseok Group

Dobongseowon was a sa-aek seowon (a Confucian academy granted a name plaque, books, land and slaves by the king, in recognition of its authority) that enshrined the spirit tablets of Jo Gwang-jo and Song Si-yeol, the most representative Neo-Confucian scholars of the early and late Joseon periods, and performed ritual sacrifices to them. It is the foremost seowon in present-day Seoul, where renowned poets and literati such as Yi Hang-bok (pen name Baeksa) left behind poems and writings. Although most of its remains were lost when it was demolished under the 1871 order abolishing seowon academies, the foundation of its shrine and the Gakseok Group — a cluster of rocks in the valley in front of the academy site, inscribed with carvings and recorded in old historical sources as relics of Dobongseowon — survive largely in their original form, unlike other seowon sites in the Seoul area, making it possible to identify the boundaries of the site relatively clearly. Setting aside these remains, the site itself has long been renowned in various writings and poems as a scenic spot of outstanding beauty, giving it considerable value for preservation.

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Where it is

Region

Dobong-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물