Gochang Mujang Gaeksa

About this place

Mujang Gaeksa, located in Mujang-myeon, Gochang-gun, was a government guesthouse during the Joseon era that provided lodging and meals for officials visiting Mujang-hyeon. It was built in the 14th year of King Seonjo (1581). The wooden royal plaque inscribed with 'gwol' (궐) hanging in the main hall symbolized the king; every first and fifteenth of the month, local officials would bow before it in respect. On auspicious national occasions, people gathered here to perform celebratory ceremonies. The main hall, built on a stone foundation with carved tigers and clouds on the staircase steps, has wings with roofs lower than the main structure to indicate lower rank. The guesthouse's main hall is a single-eave gabled-roof building, three bays in front and three bays deep, with stone foundations shaped square below and hemispherical above, topped by round pillars. Unlike many other facilities, the guesthouse's front garden is well-preserved in its original form. The building was used as a township office, altering some features, but was restored to its original form in 1990. Behind the guesthouse stands the Dongheon, the magistrate's office building.