Experiencing nature, studying history, and enjoying summer

ave arrived at one of the last segments of “The right place for summer vacation? Gyeonggi Province is the answer” This time we will visit places which bear the memories of kings and generals who lived during the Joseon Dynasty but now reside in the annals of history. At these historic sites, we will learn about the lives and wisdom of Korean ancestors through the study of history and nature.

In Hongyureung, we can feel the heartbreaking deaths of King Gojong and Empress Myungsung, or fall for the charms of the Stone Age at the Jeongokri historic site, which together with the Gongju historic site counts as one of the two most important Old Stone Age sites. Moreover, one can visit the Goguryeo Blacksmith Village where the tools of blacksmith and ancient houses from the Goguryeo era are preserved. In Haengju Mountain Castle, visitors can sense General Guanyul’s vigor. One may feel as if the ancestors of Koreans are still living and breathing in Gwangju Hyanggyo, Hanam City, which was built for the education of the local people.

Hongyureung

– Hongyureung is the tomb of King Gojong and Empress Myungsung. It is often used as a shooting location for dramas because of its seasonal beauty. – GNewsPlus

Hongyureung, so named through the combination of Hongreung and Yureung, is located in Geumgok-dong of Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province. It is a national historical site (no. 207). Hongreung is the tomb of Gojong, the 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty, and his wife Empress Myungsung. Empress Myungsung was assassinated by Japanese malefactors in 1895; she was then dethroned and her body incinerated. However, in 1919, after King Godong had passed away, Empress Myungsung’s remains were moved to the present tomb and enshrined with her dead husband.

Following Chinese imperial style, Hongreung is built with a straight-lined house of sacrifice before the royal tomb instead of a T-shaped house. On the road from the statues of the scholar and of the warrior on either side of the red gate with a spiked mantle, the stone figures of a giraffe, elephant, haetae (mythical unicorn lion), and lion are arranged. Yureung is the last royal tomb of the Joseon Dynasty, where thee kings are buried under one roof: therefore, it is the only royal tomb from the Joseon Dynsty built with the one-tomb, three-room style.

Seemingly a single-room tomb, Yureung actually contains three figures: the Joseon’s 27th King Sunjong and his two wives, Empress Sunmyunghyo and Empress Sunjeonghyo. Like Hongreung, Yureung also follows Chinese imperial style with the construction of a king’s bedroom instead of a T-shaped house before the royal tomb. Although its scale is smaller than that of Hongreung, its stone statues are more realistic and artistic. The view of Hongyureung transforms in the course of the four seasons, so that it makes a beautiful promenade or shooting spot for films and television dramas. (Geumgok-dong, Namyangju City, 031-591-7043)

Jeongokri Historic Site

– The Jeongokri historical site has internationally recognized scientific value because the remains of the site are well preserved. – GNewsPlus

The Jeongokri historic site (national historic site no. 248) is located in the hilly area around the Hantan River in Jeongokri of Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. It is one of Korea’s representative Old Stone Age sites. The geological base of the site is made up of granite gneiss formed during the pre-Cambrian period. Gravel formed through river bed accumulation prior to the eruption of basalt is widely distributed.

Because the remains of the Jeongokri historic site are well preserved, they have a considerable scientific value: in fact, the relics excavated at the site have become world famous by serving to contradict Mobius Archeology.

More than 4,000 stone tools were unearthed through thirteen excavations from 1979 to 2006. The stone implements were mainly found in the brown clay layer, the red-brown clay layer, and the yellow-brown sand clay layer. The large stone tools – such as hand axes, awls and hammers together with the hitting stone tools such as thickeners and cutters – were found through the excavations. Additionally, hitting tools, smashers, blunt stones, and stone hammers were discovered, indicative of the making of stone tools normally exercised at that time. (Jeongok-ri, Jeongok-eup, Yeuncheon-gun, 031-839-2565)

Goguryeo Blacksmith Village

– Goguryeo Blacksmith Village is the sole place in Korea, where visitors can experience the lives of Goguryeo people through various traditional activities. – GNewsPlus

Goguryeo Blacksmith Village is the sole blacksmith village in the country. It is often used as a shooting set for television dramas. Recently, The Story of the First King’s Four Gods (Taewang Sashingi) and The Country of Wind (Baramui Nara) were shot at this place: the television dramas have, in turn, brought a great number of foreign tourists to the village. A windmill seven meters in diameter, a fire pot as tall as a two-story building, equipment used by real blacksmiths, and traditional houses are exhibited at the village.

The articles on exhibit, which vividly depict the lifestyle and living environment of Goguryeo people, have been restored based on examinations of Goguryeo mural paintings. In the indoor exhibition hall, 352 Goguryeo relics such as pottery and ironware, found in the fort of Acha Mountain, are on display. In addition, a traditional culture experience site has been established where visitors can enjoy traditional leisure activities such as hoop-rolling, jaegi-kicking, rope-skipping, bird gun shooting, and tuho-throwing as well as handicrafts such as wadang-making, hanji craft, jip craft, pole-making, and pinwheel-making. (Acheon-dong, Guri City, 031-550-2363) <br
Haengju Mountain Castle

– In Haengju Mountain Castle, where even housewives fought against foreign invaders, General Gwon Yul’s vigor still prevails. – GNewsPlus

Haengju Mountain Castle is a mud-brick mountain castle located in Haengju-dong, Dokyang-gu of Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province. It was designated as the 56th national historical site in 1963. Covering a 347,670¢®¡¿?©ª area, Haengju Mountain Castle is famous as the battlefield where General Gwon Yul fought with Japanese soldiers during the Japanese invasion of Joseon in 1592.

In 1592 (25th year of King Seonjo), General Gwon Yul embarked on an operation to recapture Seoul after having defeated Japanese invaders at Inchi and Doksan Castle, Suwon. At the time, General Gwon Yul camped out with a crack force of 2,300 troops on Dukyang Mountain in Haengju across the Han River. Japanese Army General Ukita Hideie with 30,000 trained soldiers attacked Gwon Yul’s army. To compensate for the numerical inferiority, Gwon Yul mobilized civilians including housewives and smashed thousands of the enemy. At Haengju Mountain Castle, Haengju victory monuments built in 1603 (36th year of King Seonjo) and in 1963 are preserved. Chungjang Temple, a memorial house built in 1970 for General Gwon Yul, is also open to visitors.

Moreover, considering that the site for a wooden stockade still remains on the mountainside and that pieces of earthenware from the period of the Three Kingdoms are often found here, Haengju Mountain Castle is believed to have been a military base long before the 1592 Japanese invasion.

Gwangju Hyanggyo (Confucian Temple)

– The main gate of Gwangju Hyanggyo located in Hanam City. The programs for the education and enlightenment of the local people were held in the Confucius temple. – GNewsPlus

Located in Gyosan-dong of Hanam City, Gwangju Hyanggyo is a confucian temple where rites are performed to honor Confucius and Korean ancestors. It was established for the education and enlightenment of the local residents.

It was originally built on the former site of a Gwangju government office in 1703 (29th year of King Sukjong), but has been relocated in the present site. Currently, it operates no educational programs, but ancestral rites are still performed here. Standing behind the Hyanggyo building are Daesungjeon, Dongmu and Seomu, where rites take place. At the same place, the former educational buildings such as Myungryundan, Dongjae, and Seojae were established.

Daesungjeon, the place for rites, has three rooms at the front and four rooms on both sides; it was built in the form of octagonal roof. Myungryundang, the place for education, is an auditorium where students who attended Hyanggyo studied together. Dongjae and Seojae were dormitory buildings where students stayed. Gwangju Hyanggyo was built with state support during the Joseon Dynasty; it is also the sole Hyanggyo building constructed on a flatland instead of on a mountain. It was a large-scale Hyanggyo which had facilities that other Hyanggyo buildings did not have, such as Dongjae, Seojae, Dongmu, and Seomu.

In 2007, the Hanam City Government embarked on large-scale construction work to restore the Gwangju Hyanggyo building. (Gyosan-dong, Hanam City, 031-790-6876)

©GNewPlus News | Choi Mi-Yeon miyeon09@gmail.com

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