Cheondogyo Central Grand Temple

About this place

This is the central hall of the Cheondogyo religion, used for religious ceremonies and general events. Supervised by Son Byong-hui, the third patriarch of Cheondogyo, construction began in 1918 and was completed in 1921. Funded by donations from believers, the remaining construction funds were used for the March 1st Movement. The building is one of Seoul's top three buildings of its era, alongside Myeongdong Cathedral and the Japanese Government-General Building. Built primarily with red bricks interspersed with granite stones, it achieves outstanding harmony of color and texture. It is a rare example of Jugendstil (Secession) architecture in Korean modern architecture, influenced by German architectural trends through the Japanese architect Nakamura Yoshihei's employment of German architect Anton Ferrer. The body of the building is structured as a large assembly hall with no interior columns, demonstrating advanced structural engineering for its time.