Ahn Hyang (안향, 安珦; 1243 – 12 September 1306), also known as Ahn Yu (안유, 安裕), was a leading

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 religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

scholar born in

Yeongju Yeongju () is a city in the far north region of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea, covering 668.84 km2 with a population of 113,930 people according to the 2008 census. The city borders Bonghwa county to the east, Danyang county of Nort ...

in present-day

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 ...

, and was from the Sunheung Ahn clan. He is considered the founder of

Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) ...

in Korea, introducing Song Confucianism to the

Goryeo 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 unificat ...

kingdom. Ahn Hyang visited

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

, transcribing the works of

Zhu Xi Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...

and bringing his copy and portraits of

Confucius Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...

and

to Korea to use in his revitalization of Confucianism. He strove to replace

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

with Confucianism. There is a portrait of him at the Sosu Seowon, which was built as a memorial to the scholar. There is also a statue of him on Banya-san in

Nonsan Nonsan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at . The origin of Nonsan's geographical names is said to have come from the small garden " Nolmoe, " which rises in the middle of farming fields, where rice paddi ...

Family

* Grandfather ** Ahn Yeong-yu (안영유, 安永儒/安永濡) (1201 - ?) * Grandmother ** Lady Park of the Gyeongju Park clan (경주 박씨); daughter of Park Hwang (박황, 朴璜) * Father ** Ahn Bu (안부, 安孚) (1220 - ?) * Mother ** Princess Consort Sunjeong of the Gangju Woo clan (순정군부인 강주우씨, 順政郡夫人剛州禹氏) *** Grandfather - Woo Seong-yun (우성윤, 禹成允) * Wives and their children ** Princess Consort Hannam of the Kim clan (한남군부인 김씨, 漢南郡夫人金氏); Kim Rok-yeon's third daughter (김록연,金祿延) *** Son - Ahn Woo-gi (안우기, 安于器) (1265 - 1329)Through his son, Ahn Hyang became the 26th great-grandson of

Ahn Jung-geun Ahn Jung-geun, sometimes spelled Ahn Joong-keun (; 2 September 1879 – 26 March 1910; baptismal name: Thomas Ahn ), was a Korean-independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist. He is famous for assassination of Itō Hirobumi, the first ...

**** Daughter-in-law - Princess Consort Cheorwon of the Choi clan (철원군부인 최씨) ***** Grandson - Ahn Mok (안목, 安牧) **** Daughter-in-law - Princess Consort Yi (군부인 이씨) ***** Grandson - Ahn Shin (안신, 安愼) *** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興安氏) **** Son-in-law - Moon Ok (문욱, 文頊) *** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興安氏) **** Son-in-law - Heo Su (허수, 許綏) *** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興安氏) **** Son-in-law - Park Je (박제) *** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興安氏) **** Son-in-law - Han Su-yeon (한수연, 韓守延) *** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興安氏) **** Son-in-law - Kim Sa-won (김사원, 金士元) ** Princess Consort Seowon of the Yeom clan (서원군부인 염씨, 瑞原郡夫人廉氏); daughter of Yeom Su-jang (염수장, 廉守藏) — No issue.

References

* tourinfo.khu.ac.kr/iboard/bbsUpFiles/제%205호.hwp * Grayson, James H. 2002 ''Korea - A Religious History''. RoutledgeCurzon. . People from Yeongju 1243 births 1306 deaths Neo-Confucian scholars Place of death unknown Sunheung An clan 13th-century Korean philosophers {{korea-bio-stub