Yecheon Chogan Gonpa Jongdaek & Byeoldang of the Yecheon Gwon Clan

About this place

The head house of the Chogangongpa branch of the Yecheon Gwon clan in Yecheon is a residence built by Gwon O-sang, the grandfather of Chogan Gwon Mun-hae (1534–1591). It sits facing southeast on a sloping site, backed by a low, densely wooded rear hill. The main quarters (anchae) is ㅁ-shaped, five kan across the front and five kan at the side, with a hip-and-gable roof. Built on a two-tiered stylobate, the whole building is very tall and imposing. At the right front of the main quarters projects the byeoldang (Treasure No. 457), which serves as the men's quarters (sarangchae), and on the left stands the Baekseunggak, which houses the Daedong Unbu Gunok woodblocks and manuscript (Treasure No. 878), Gwon Mun-hae's Chogan Diary (Treasure No. 879), and various other books. In front of the byeoldang there once stood a servants' quarters that also served as the main gate, but it has been demolished. The main quarters and the byeoldang (men's quarters) were linked so that one could move freely between the two spaces—a feature of early Joseon houses that placed importance on entertaining guests, and a rare example showing traces of a pavilion-style reception building. The shrine at the right rear of the main quarters has a removable middle door post (seolju) at its entrance; this head house is the only place where such a seolju style appears. As an early Joseon building it is well preserved and serves as important material for studying the architectural structure and style of the period. The Byeoldang of the Chogan head house of the Yecheon Gwon clan stands in Daesu village of Jungnim-ri, famous as an auspicious site according to feng shui. It is said to have been built by Gwon O-sang, grandfather of the mid-Joseon literatus Chogan Gwon Mun-hae (1534–1591), and is a byeoldang-style men's quarters located at the right front of the main quarters of the head house of the Chogangongpa branch of the Yecheon Gwon clan (National Folklore Cultural Heritage No. 201). It resembles a loft house, with a high foundation of rough stones laid on flat ground, a house built on top, and a railing running around it. It is in fact connected to the main quarters, but because it has a hip-and-gable roof, it looks like an independent building when seen from the front. It measures four kan across the front and two kan at the side; the right three kan form a wooden-floored hall (daecheong) and the left one kan is an ondol (heated-floor) room. The front of the hall is left open without doors, while the sides and rear are fitted with plank walls. The exterior is simple and unadorned, with only capital blocks set on square columns to support the crossbeams, yet the interior ceiling of the byeoldang is quite elaborately and finely decorated. It is a Joseon-period byeoldang building whose interior was adorned with outstanding techniques rarely found in ordinary residential architecture.