The Byeongsan Seowon is a ''

seowon Seowon () were the most common educational institutions of Korea during the mid- to late Joseon Dynasty. They were private institutions, and combined the functions of a Confucian shrine and a preparatory school. In educational terms, the seowon w ...

'' located in Byeongsa-ri village of the Pungcheon-myeon township in the city of

Andong Andong () is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city. Andong is a m ...

North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상북도, translit=Gyeongsangbuk-do, ) is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remained a province of Korea until the ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Seowon is a type of local

academy An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...

during the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

(1392–1897). It was first established as Jondeoksa (尊德祠) by local

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...

scholars especially Jeong Gyeong-se (鄭經世) in 1613, the fifth year of King Gwanghaegung's reign, to commemorate the scholarly achievement and virtue of the notable Confucian scholar and politician

Ryu Seong-ryong Ryu Seong-ryong (November 1542 – May 1607), was a scholar-official of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He held many responsibilities including the Chief State Councillor position in 1592. He was a member of the "Eastern faction", and a follower o ...

. The predecessor of the seowon was Pungak Seodang (豊岳書堂) which was a school located in Pungsan to teach the Pungsan Ryu clan during the

Goryeo period Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...

moved the

seodang Seodang were private village schools providing elementary education during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Background They were primarily occupied with providing initial training in the Chinese classics to boys of 7-16 years of age, but ...

to the current place in 1572. upright=1.2, none, A view of Byeongsan Seowon

History

The history of Byeongsan Seowon began when

moved to Andong in 1572 from Pungak Seodang, a Confucian school established during the

. After Ryu Seong-ryong died in 1607, local Confucianists such as Jeong Gyeong-se founded Jondeok Temple in 1613 and enshrined an ancestral tablet to commemorate his academic work and virtues. The temple was renamed Byeongsan Seowon in 1614. In 1620, following a public discussion among Confucianists, the ancestral tablet was moved to Yeogang Seowon, a memorial Seowon for

Toegye Yi Hwang (January 3, 1502– January 3, 1571) was the most important Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. He was a figure of the Neo-Confucian literati, established the Yeongnam School and set up the Dosan Seo ...

. In 1629 new ancestral tablets to worship Ryu Seong-ryong and his third son Ryu were made. Byeongsan Seowon served as a branch of local education to produce many scholars. In 1868,

Heungseon Daewongun Heungseon Daewongun (흥선대원군, 興宣大院君, 21 December 1820 – 22 February 1898; ), also known as the Daewongun (대원군, 大院君), Guktaegong (국태공, 國太公, "The Great Archduke") or formally Internal King Heungseon Heon ...

ordered to remove it, but it was not damaged. The auditorium was rebuilt in 1921 under Japanese rule. Hyangsarye, a memorial ceremony for Ryu Seong-ryong and Ryu Jin, is held here every March and September. It is designated as Historic Site No. 260 and contains about 3,000 books of about 1,000 different types, including a collection of books by Ryu Seong-ryong.

References

External links

병산서원(屛山書院)
{dead link, date=April 2018 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes at Yesullo Seowon Andong 1572 establishments in Asia Buildings and structures in North Gyeongsang Province

History

See also

References

External links