Anseong Gaeksa (Government Guesthouse)

On a lawn next to the Anseong sports complex stands a tiled building that looks like any other traditional hanok. In fact it is the oldest surviving gaeksa, or official guesthouse, in Korea. Built before 1363, in the reign of the Goryeo king Gongmin, it has served as a school classroom and a library and has been moved twice, yet the timber framing under its eaves still shows the craftsmanship of late-Goryeo carpenters. This is Anseong Gaeksa, designated a national Treasure in 2021.

What was a gaeksa?

A gaeksa was the central building of a Joseon-era local government office. Its main hall, the jeongcheong, held a jeonpae, a tablet representing the king. On the first and fifteenth of every month, at New Year and on the king's birthday, the local magistrate bowed towards the royal palace before it, a ritual called manggwollye. The two side wings housed officials sent from the capital. Anseong Gaeksa was also known as Baekseonggwan, after an old name for Anseong.

School, library and two moves

Nineteenth-century county records list a main hall, east and west wings, an inner and an outer gate, servants' quarters and even a pavilion called Gyeongunjeong. Today only the main hall and its two wings remain.

• 1908: the building was converted into classrooms for Anseong Primary School, and all the annexes disappeared.
• 1931: it was dismantled and re-erected on the site of today's Myeongnyun Girls' Middle School, where it served as a library and classrooms.
• 1995: facing demolition, it was taken apart, repaired and moved to its present site.

The moves left their marks, with the bottoms of the columns cut off and the spacing between them reduced, but the basic frame and the bracket system that carries the roof were not significantly altered.

Look up under the eaves

The real interest of this building is above your head. The main hall uses the jusimpo style, with brackets placed only on top of the columns, and its bracket arrangement closely resembles that of the main hall of Sudeoksa Temple in Yesan, a National Treasure built in 1308.

• Round carvings: between the projecting bracket arms sits a carved round element. Anseong Gaeksa is the only surviving building with this feature.
• Jar-shaped beams: the main and upper beams bulge in cross-section like a jar, a hallmark of late-Goryeo architecture.
• Layered roofs: the three-by-three-bay main hall has a simple gabled roof, while the lower side wings have hipped-and-gabled roofs, so the rooflines step down on either side. The floor of the main hall is paved with clay bricks.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: the site is always open and free, with parking. Standing in front of the main hall or in its open side bays, you can look up closely at the brackets and the jar-shaped beams.
• Time needed: 20–40 minutes to walk around and study the details.
• Getting there: the address is 203 Jonghabundongjang-ro, Bogae-myeon, Anseong. It is about 3 km east of Anseong Bus Terminal, around 10 minutes by taxi. From Seoul, the easiest option is an intercity bus to Anseong followed by a short taxi ride.
• Combine with: about 2 km away, Anseong Machum Land hosts performances by the Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi troupe, known for tightrope walking and folk percussion. Check the schedule on the Anseong city website.
• Good to know: on days when matches or events are held at the stadium, the car park can get busy. For a quiet visit, come on a weekday.