Dongbok Hyanggyo

Dongbok Hyanggyo is an educational institution located on a high hill behind Wolsong Village in Hwasun. Hyanggyo were national educational institutions of the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, established to enshrine memorial tablets of great Confucian scholars, conduct ancestral rites, and provide education and moral guidance to local residents. It was first built in 1444 by Hwasun County Magistrate Ha Gang-ji at its current location. Later, in 1568, it was moved to Gyochon Village from its original site. In 1655, a fire at the government guesthouse destroyed the royal tablet (symbolizing the king, enshrined at the local guesthouse), leading to the abolition of Dongbok County and the closure of the hyanggyo. However, when the county was restored in 1664, the hyanggyo was also reestablished. In 1713, the hyanggyo was moved to the south of the county, and in 1756, it was relocated to its present site on the hill behind Wolsong Village. Dongbok Hyanggyo consists of buildings such as Myeongnyundang, Gyeongmojae, and Yangsajae. All of these—Myeongnyundang, Gyeongmojae, and Yangsadae—are gable-roofed buildings. Naesammun is the main gate to Daeseongjeon, featuring a raised gate style, with square pillars erected on rough stone foundations, and panel doors decorated with horizontal beams (placed perpendicular to the purlins to adorn the eaves and roof), with red lattice bars installed above.