Daepo Seowon (Gimpo)

Daepo Seowon is located on a hillside in Yangchon-eup, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do. It is a seowon (Confucian academy) established to commemorate the virtues of Nuljae Yang Seong-ji, a great scholar and civil official of the early Joseon Dynasty. Yang Seong-ji served as Minister of Public Works, Grand Chief of the Censorate, and Chief Scholar of the Office of Special Counselors, and was the foremost writer and thinker of his time. He served six kings from King Sejong to King Seongjong, acting as a statesman of great vision. He contributed to the compilation of the Dongmunseon, Goryeosa, Goryeosajeolyo, and Dongguktonggam, and left a clear mark as an expert in geography and cartography. He also advocated for the establishment of the Office of Special Counselors and the Gyujanggak. Yang Seong-ji was buried in Daepogok, Tongjin-hyeon, in 1482 at the age of 68. In 1973, a shrine was built below his grave in Daepo-ri, Yangchon-myeon, and named Daepo Seowon after the place name. The seowon consists of the eastern and western study halls (Dongjae and Seojae) for learning, and a shrine for ancestral rites, following the typical 'front study, rear shrine' layout. Every year on April 25, a grand ritual is held here to honor Yang Seong-ji.