Onjuamun and Dongheon

About this place

Onjuamun and Dongheon are government office buildings from the late Joseon period. The gate-tower bears a signboard reading 'Onjuamun'; 'Onju' refers to 'Onyang,' the place name for the town area of Asan. The gate-tower is built two stories high on granite footing stones, with the lower level used as a passageway and the upper level as a nurmaru (elevated wooden-floored loft). The Dongheon stands about 50 m north of the gate-tower. This served as the Dongheon of Onyang-gun during the Joseon Dynasty; a Dongheon would, in today's terms, be the office of the county magistrate. After losing its function as a Dongheon, from 1928 it was used as a Japanese colonial police substation, after liberation as a police box, and following the city's promotion in 1986 it was used for two years, until 1988, as the Onju-dong community office; it was repaired and restored in 1993. This building is a single-story structure of 6 kan across the front and 2 kan on the side, raised on a granite platform, with a single-eaved hip-and-gable roof. In front of Onjuamun stand steles inscribed with the achievements of the fine county magistrates who passed through this place. In 1973 its value was recognized and it was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Chungcheongnam-do. Additional excavations have continued recently, and it is hoped that even more of its features will be revealed in the future.