Uiseong Hyanggyo

About this place

Uiseong Hyanggyo is said to have been established in the 3rd year of King Taejo of Joseon (1394), and was moved from the bank of the Asacheon stream to its present location by Yi Jong-jun, the local magistrate during the reign of King Seongjong. It was repaired several times thereafter. Following the terrain, the Daeseongjeon—the space for holding memorial rites—is placed on the hill to the left, while the Myeongnyundang—the space for study—is behind it, forming a shrine-front, school-rear (jeonmyo-huhak) layout, an unusual arrangement different from ordinary hyanggyo. The Daeseongjeon, the central building of the hyanggyo, enshrines the spirit tablets of Chinese and Korean sages; it is a gable-roofed building of five bays at the front and two at the side, dating to the mid-Joseon period. The Myeongnyundang, the central building of the lecture area, is a hip-and-gable-roofed building of five bays at the front and two at the side whose side profile forms the shape of the character 八, dating to the late Joseon period. The eastern dormitory (Dongjae), the lodging for students in front of the Myeongnyundang, is a gable-roofed building of four bays at the front and two at the side. The gate pavilion Gwangpungnu is a two-story gable-roofed building of five bays at the front and three at the side, whose roof profile forms the shape of the character 人; the second floor is surrounded by a railing. Today the educational function of the hyanggyo has ceased, and memorial rites are held twice a year in spring and autumn.