Yeongye Seowon

About this place

Yeongye Seowon is a seowon that enshrines Master Han Deok-ryeon (1881-1956), styled Songgye. Han Deok-ryeon's ancestral seat was Cheongju and his art name was Songgye. He was born in the 18th year of King Gojong at Gyojeon-ri in Sinnyeong-hyeon (present-day Sinnyeong-myeon, Yeongcheon). After the Japanese annexation, fleeing the turmoil of the world, he withdrew into the mountains of Hwasan in Goro-myeon, Gunwi-gun, and devoted himself to educating the younger generation. Hindered by the Japanese, however, he could not stay on there and taught his students while moving about places such as Sanseong-myeon in Gunwi-gun and Maeho-ri in Imgo-myeon of Yeongcheon-gun (present-day Yeongcheon); in his later years he came to Yeonjeong-ri in Sinnyeong and passed away at the age of 76. The buildings on the grounds include the shrine Gyeongdeoksa, a three-bay shrine hall, the lodging halls Sullijae and Gusijae of three bays each, and the lecture hall Simnakdang. The spirit tablet of Han Deok-ryeon is enshrined in the shrine hall, while Sullijae and Gusijae are used for gatherings of Confucians, scholarly lectures, and lodging.