Korea-Goheung Hyanggyo 5283-07 outer gate

The Goheung Hyanggyo was founded in 1441, during the reign of

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 ...

King

Sejong Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...

. In 1597 the school was heavily damaged during the Second Japanese Invasion. In 1695 it was moved to the present site and restored with the help of

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, ...

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...

s from Seongdong town. The

hyanggyo The Hyanggyo were government-run provincial schools established separately during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) and Joseon Dynasty (July 1392 - August 1910), but did not meet with widespread success in either dynasty. They were officially closed ...

consists of two parts: first, the Myeongnyundang (

lecture hall A lecture hall (or lecture theatre) is a large room used for instruction, typically at a college or university. Unlike a traditional classroom with a capacity normally between one and fifty, the capacity of lecture halls is usually measured i ...

), which contains the Oesam outer gate and the east and west

dormitories A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

. The second is the ritual area that includes the Naesam inner gate, Daeseongjeon (

Confucian shrine A temple of Confucius or Confucian temple is a temple for the veneration of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism in Chinese folk religion and other East Asian religions. They were formerly the site of the administration of ...

hall), and the east and west Mu. This style of structure forms a Jeonhakhumyo, which means that lecture hall is placed in the front and the ritual hall in the rear. Jeonhakhumyo-type hyanggyos are situated on gently-sloping sites to emphasize the

sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

ness of the Confucian shrine. Sujik House, next to the Hyanggyo, houses Confucian students. According to the current

curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

, the Goheung Hyanggyo was the wealthiest of the Confucian schools during the period just prior to the occupation. During the second occupation, the funds of the Goheung Hyanggyo were

confiscated Confiscation (from the Latin ''confiscatio'' "to consign to the ''fiscus'', i.e. transfer to the treasury") is a legal form of seizure by a government or other public authority. The word is also used, popularly, of spoliation under legal forms, o ...

and used to build schools in the area. The occupying Japanese government took credit for building the schools, though the funds used to build the schools were actually those confiscated from the Goheung Hyanggyo.

Ritual A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...

s are held here every month at dawn; at those times, participants gather in the afternoons and evenings prior, staying overnight in the east dormitory and preparing for the next morning's

ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secular) ...

. Many other additional activities occur at the Goheung Hyanggyo throughout the year.

Gallery

File:Korea-Goheung Hyanggyo 5286-07 lecture hall.JPG, Myeongnyundang - Goheung Hyanggyo Lecture Hall inside the outer

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

File:Korea-Goheung Hyanggyo 5366&7-07 Shrine building.jpg, Daeseongjeon - Goheung Hyanggyo Shrine Hall inside the inner courtyard File:Korea-Goheung Hyanggyo 5295-07 outer courtyard.JPG, Goheung Hyanggyo outer courtyard showing one of two

ginkgo ''Ginkgo'' is a genus of non-flowering seed plants. The scientific name is also used as the English name. The order to which it belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian, 270 million years ago, and is now the only living genus within ...

trees in the outer courtyard believed to be 780 years old, and the outer gate from the inside File:Korea-Goheung Hyanggyo 5358-07 Shrine Ancestor Tablets.JPG, Inside Goheung Hyanggyo Daeseongjeon (shrine hall), showing two of the ancestor tablets uncovered in the foreground (light colored - dark cover placed right behind tablet), with covered (dark colored) tablets in the background

References

{{Commons category, Goheung Hyanggyo Hyanggyo Goheung County