Geumgu Hyanggyo

About this place

During the Joseon period, hyanggyo were provided with land and servants by the state, and instructors taught students there; with the Gabo Reform of 1894 and the introduction of modern education, their educational function was abolished. Geumgu Hyanggyo was founded in 1390, rebuilt in 1404, destroyed in the Imjin War, reconstructed in 1635, and then relocated to its current site in 1675. Over time — including during the Korean War — most of its records and books were lost and the institution declined, but in 1954 local Confucian scholars established a civic high school here, using it as an educational institution for local youth. The Myeongnyundang lecture hall is four bays wide and two bays deep with a hip-and-gable roof; the Manhwaru pavilion is a two-story structure, three bays wide and two bays deep, with a gabled roof. The Daeseongjon shrine — designated a Jeollabuk-do cultural heritage material — is three bays wide and two bays deep with a gabled roof. Nearby are Namgang Jeongsa, Seonam Reservoir, and Daeyul Reservoir.