Gangyang Hyanggyo

Gangyang Hyanggyo is an educational institution established by the state to hold ancestral rites for Confucius and other sages, and to educate and enlighten the local people. The original Hapcheon Hyanggyo was first built in the Hapcheon-gun seat, but was relocated in 1881 (the 18th year of King Gojong of Joseon) when the Hapcheon-gun office was moved to Yaro-myeon. Later, in 1965, Confucian scholars from Hapcheon, Yongju, Yulgok, and Daeyang-myeon built a new Gangyang Hyanggyo at its current location. The complex consists of Daeseongjeon (a shrine for holding rites), Naesammun (inner triple gate), and Myeongnyundang (a lecture hall for educational functions). Daeseongjeon is a building with a hip-and-gable roof, measuring 5 kan (bays) in front and 2 kan on the sides. During the Joseon Dynasty, the state provided land, slaves, and books to teach students, but now the educational function has ceased, leaving only the ritual function. It is the last-built hyanggyo among the 232 remaining in Korea. Address: 5-14, Chunghyoro 1-gil, Hapcheon-eup, Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do