Pyeongtaek Hyanggyo

Pyeongtaek Hyanggyo is a hyanggyo (Confucian school) located at 40, Buyong-ro 17beon-gil, Paengseong-eup, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, and is designated as a cultural heritage material of Gyeonggi-do. Pyeongtaek Hyanggyo was built in 1413 and expanded in 1445. It was burned down during the Manchu invasion of 1636 but was restored in 1797. During the Japanese colonial period, it was temporarily used as a peasant school. At the entrance of Pyeongtaek Hyanggyo, there is a hongsalmun (red gate) first built during the Silla period, and next to it is a hamabi (dismounting stone). Passing through the oesammun (outer gate), which serves as the main gate of the hyanggyo, there are Myeongnyundang (lecture hall) and Dongjae and Seojae (student dormitories). On a slightly higher ground above, there is Daeseongjeon (shrine) where Confucian sages are enshrined. The foundation is built with irregular stone masonry, with irregular stone cornerstones and round pillars supporting the ikgong (bracket sets), and the wooden parts are painted with dancheong (traditional decorative coloring). The walls surrounding the hyanggyo were recently built with flagstones, and the overall preservation condition is good. It enshrines and holds rituals for the spirit tablets of Confucius, Mencius, and other ancient sages. As an educational institution of the Joseon Dynasty, Pyeongtaek had Jinwi Hyanggyo and Pyeongtaek Hyanggyo, which educated local Confucian scholars.