Gosongjeongji

Gosongjeongji is the site of a pavilion called Gosongjeong, built in 1827 (the 27th year of King Sunjo's reign during the Joseon Dynasty) by Kim Cheo-il to mourn his ninth-generation ancestor, Kim Chung-ju. Kim Chung-ju fled the capital at night after his grandfather and father were killed for participating in the movement to restore King Danjong. He wandered to various places before hiding in Hwajeong-dong, where he lived the rest of his life without eating meat or drinking alcohol, wearing hemp clothes and a commoner's hat. Whenever his loyalty to King Danjong wavered, he would look toward Yeongwol, where Danjong's tomb is located, and wail. It is said that the pine trees withered from the tears he shed in grief over the unjust deaths of his grandfather and father. He built a house by weaving grass and made a living by selling charcoal, calling himself 'Taneong' (the charcoal-burning old man), which is why the Gosongjeong site is also called Taneonggo Site. The pavilion measures 2 kan (a traditional unit of measurement) in front and 2 kan on the side, with a hip-and-gable roof (paljakjibung) shaped like the character '八' (eight) when viewed from the side. To the left of the pavilion is a rock engraved with 'Taneonggoji,' and to the right of Gosongjeong, there is a rock called Mangwolam, where he is said to have wept while longing for King Danjong. The surrounding area features zelkova and juniper trees over 500 years old, offering a superb natural landscape. Address: Gyeonggi-do, Ansan-si, Danwon-gu, Hwajeong-dong