Galcheon Seowon

Galcheon Seowon is a Confucian academy established to commemorate the scholar Minister Haengchon Yi Am, a civil official during the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo. Yi Am (1297–1364) passed the civil service examination in the 5th year of King Chungsun of Goryeo (1313) and was enfeoffed as Cheolseong Buwongun as a first-class meritorious subject in the 12th year of King Gongmin (1363). Galcheon Seowon was originally founded as Geumbong Seowon in Hoehwa-myeon during the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo. In the 38th year of King Sukjong of Joseon (1712), it was moved to its current location and renamed Galcheon Seowon. In the 6th year of King Gojong (1869), it was closed under Heungseon Daewongun's decree abolishing seowon, but after Korea's liberation, Confucian scholars restored it, leading to its present state. Remaining buildings include the shrine, lecture hall, inner three gates, and the main gate called Bulsamun. The shrine enshrines and holds rituals for the spirit tablets of Haengchon Yi Am, Mukje Yeo Pil, Gwanpo Eo Deukgang, and Dochon Yi Sung. The lecture hall is a wooden tiled building with a hipped-and-gable roof, featuring a 3-ryang structure with 3 front bays and 2 side bays. The central bay serves as a wooden-floored hall, with one room on each side, and a raised wooden veranda in front of the right room. The main gate, Bulsamun, is a gable-roofed gate with a high foundation, having 5 front bays and 1 side bay. The roof is a gable style shaped like the Chinese character '人' (person) when viewed from the side. The central bay is used as the entrance.