Ononsa Guesthouse

Ononsa is a guesthouse (gaeksa) of Gwacheon-hyeon built in the 27th year of King Injo's reign (1649) during the Joseon Dynasty. A gaeksa is a place where a wooden tablet (jeonpae) symbolizing the king was enshrined. The people performed rituals here on certain days, bowing toward the royal palace where the king resided. The gaeksa was also used as lodging for foreign envoys or officials handling state affairs. It held a higher status than the dongheon (local administrative office) where the local magistrate worked. Therefore, it was located in the most central part of the town, and the building was constructed with great care.

Ononsa is the gaeksa where King Jeongjo (r. 1776–1800) of the Joseon Dynasty stayed on his way back from paying respects at Hyeollyungwon, the tomb of his father Crown Prince Sado, in Suwon. The name 'Ononsa' was given by King Jeongjo, meaning he felt very comfortable while resting here, and the dongheon where the local governor handled affairs was called 'Burimheon.' It is said that the plaque here was personally written by King Jeongjo. The building features a typical gaeksa structure with the center of the roof slightly higher than the sides. The current gaeksa building was constructed in the 27th year of King Injo (1649), originally located at the site of the current Jungang-dong Community Center, and was moved to its present location in 1986.