Cheongha Hyanggyo

About this place

Cheongha Hyanggyo was first built in 1398 (the 7th year of King Taejo) in Seojeong-ri. Work to relocate and rebuild it in Deokseong-ri began in 1713 (the 39th year of King Sukjong) and was completed in 1716 (the 42nd year of King Sukjong). It was afterward repaired twice, in 1843 (the 9th year of King Heonjong) and in 1923. The buildings that remain today include Daeseongjeon, Myeongnyundang, the east chamber, Cheonhwaru, and the divine gate (inner three-bay gate). Daeseongjeon, the space for holding ancestral rites, is six kan in size, and inside it are enshrined the memorial tablets of Confucius and of sages of China and Korea. Myeongnyundang, the lecture hall where students gathered to study, is six kan in size; the east chamber, the students' dormitory, is five kan; and Cheonhwaru, a space for rest, is four kan. During the Joseon period, the state supported the school with land, slaves, and books to teach students, but today its educational function has disappeared and only its ritual function remains.