Icheon Hyanggyo

Hyanggyo are national educational institutions of the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, established to enshrine memorial tablets of eminent Confucian scholars, conduct ancestral rites, and provide education and moral cultivation for local residents. Icheon Hyanggyo is a Joseon Dynasty government school representing Icheon City, designated as a Gyeonggi-do Cultural Heritage Material. Originally, there was no hyanggyo in this area, so students were gathered and taught at a temple called Anheungjeongsa. In 1402 (the 2nd year of King Taejong's reign), the Daeseongjeon (main shrine) was built, and students from Anheungjeongsa were moved here to pursue their studies. The layout of the buildings follows the typical 'front school, rear shrine' (jeonhak-humyo) arrangement. The original scale was larger, but the east and west dormitories (Dongjae and Seojae) no longer remain, and most of the existing buildings date from the late Joseon period. The Dongmu (eastern shrine) was rebuilt in 1967, and the Seomu (western shrine) was rebuilt in 1980. In 1991 and 1993, the Myeongnyundang (lecture hall) and walls were repaired. Icheon Hyanggyo operates an affiliated Myeongnyun University, continuing its role as an educational institution in a modern context. The Myeongnyundang and Icheon Hyanggyo Confucian Association Hall are used for adult liberal arts education and youth character education. Incense offerings are held on the 1st and 15th of each month according to the lunar calendar, and the spring and autumn Seokjeon (Confucian memorial rites) are conducted twice a year. The Myeongnyundang area is sometimes open to the public, but may be closed depending on the circumstances of the hyanggyo. It takes approximately 7–9 minutes by car from Icheon Station on the Gyeonggang Line or Icheon Terminal, and about 15 minutes from Sindun IC. Nearby attractions include Seolbong Park, Sagimakgol Pottery Village, Seongho Lake Lotus Complex, Gonjiam Resort Ski Resort, Jisan Forest Resort Ski Resort, and Deokpyeong Dinosaur Arboretum.