Chirwonhyanggyo Local Confucian School, Haman

A hyanggyo, a local Confucian school, was a state-established institution where memorial rites were held for Confucius and other sages and where local residents were educated and morally instructed. It is not known when Chirwonhyanggyo was first built, but tradition holds that a building originally standing west of Chirwon-hyeon was moved east in 1621, the 13th year of King Gwanghaegun, and then moved again to its present site in 1700, the 26th year of King Sukjong. In 1910 it was merged into Hamanhyanggyo, and in 1961 it was restored by the Confucian community of Chirwon, continuing in that form to the present day. The buildings follow the jeonhakhumyo layout, with the educational space, Myeongnyundang, at the front and the ritual space, Daeseongjeon, at the rear. Daeseongjeon measures three bays across the front and two bays along the side, with a hipped-and-gabled roof whose profile resembles the Chinese character for "eight" (八) when viewed from the side. Inside are enshrined the spirit tablets of Confucius and various sages of China and Korea. Myeongnyundang, the lecture hall where students gathered to study, measures five bays across the front and two bays along the side and is likewise roofed in the hipped-and-gabled style. The bracket sets supporting the eaves are carved in the ikgong style, shaped like a bird's wings. During the Joseon period the school received land, enslaved labourers and books from the state to support the education of its students, but today its educational function has ceased, leaving only its ritual function.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Haman, Gyeongnam

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료