Geumhwaseowon Confucian Academy

Geumhwaseowon is a Joseon Dynasty Confucian academy located in Samseung-myeon, Boeun-gun. It was founded in 1758 (the 34th year of King Yeongjo's reign) by Confucian scholar Kang Jaemun-oe and 105 others to commemorate the scholarship and virtue of Choe Un, Seong Un, Jo Sik, Seong Jewon, and Choe Heungnim, and enshrine their spirit tablets. It served to honor former sages and contribute to local education until it was demolished in 1871 (the 8th year of King Gojong's reign) under Heungseon Daewongun's order to abolish Confucian academies. After Korea's liberation, local Confucian associations actively worked to restore it, and it was rebuilt in 1967. The premises include a three-kan shrine, a three-kan lecture hall, and a five-kan administrative building. The shrine enshrines the spirit tablets of Choe Un and four others. The lecture hall was originally used for gatherings and studies by Confucian scholars, but now serves as accommodation and meeting space for ritual officials during ancestral rites. Rituals are held annually on the middle day of the third and ninth lunar months, with offerings consisting of seven types of side dishes and seven bowls of rice. Below Geumhwaseowon are Boeun Gyedang and Gyejeong, designated as cultural heritage materials of Chungcheongbuk-do. Boeun Gyedang is a building where Choe Heungnim, a mid-Joseon scholar, studied after retiring to his hometown. When Geumhwaseowon was founded, this building was used as its lecture hall. Gyejeong is a natural garden utilizing a valley descending from the peak of Geumjeoksan Mountain, making full use of natural features such as waterfalls and oddly-shaped rocks. It is said that a water channel was carved into a rock in the front yard of Gyedang, drawing valley water to create a sense of elegance. Boeun Gyedang and Gyejeong are highly valued academically for their rare representation of Confucian culture through the use of the natural environment in the Chungcheongbuk-do region.

Address: 571-1 Seongok-ri, Samseung-myeon, Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do