Byeongsan Seowon

Where the Nakdong River makes a wide bend beneath the sheer cliffs of Byeongsan, Byeongsan Seowon is often called the masterpiece of Joseon-era academy architecture. Step through the gate and climb into Mandaeru, a seven-bay pavilion, and the river and cliffs appear framed between its pillars like a painting. The academy honours Ryu Seong-ryong, chief state councillor during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s, and it has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List twice: with Hahoe Village and as one of the "Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies".

History: from Pungak Seodang to Byeongsan Seowon

The academy grew out of Pungak Seodang, a school that had stood in Pungsan since the Goryeo period. When its surroundings became too noisy, local scholars asked Ryu Seong-ryong, then staying in Hahoe, for advice, and moved the school to the foot of Byeongsan as he suggested. Sources differ on the year: 1572 or 1575.

After Ryu died in 1607, his disciples, among them Jeong Gyeong-se, and local scholars built the Jondeoksa shrine to honour him, and in 1614 the school was renamed Byeongsan Seowon. His third son, Ryu Jin, was later enshrined here too, and in 1863 the king granted the academy an official name board. It was one of only 47 academies that survived the regent Heungseon Daewongun's order to abolish the seowon. Major repairs followed under Japanese rule: the lecture hall was rebuilt in 1921 and the shrine in 1937.

What to see

• Boryemun: the three-bay front gate under a hipped-and-gabled roof. Its name comes from the Analects: "to master oneself and return to propriety".
• Gwangyeongji: a small pond to the left inside the gate, laid out to express the old idea that Heaven is round and Earth is square.
• Mandaeru: a long pavilion seven bays wide, named after a line of verse saying that green cliffs are best faced in the evening. Steps hewn from whole logs, pillars that keep the natural curve of the tree and roughly dressed foundation stones show a design that tries not to impose on nature.
• Ipgyodang: the lecture hall where students attended classes. Sitting on its veranda and looking over Mandaeru to the cliffs is the real highlight of the visit.
• Jondeoksa: the shrine at the top of the site, holding the spirit tablets of Ryu Seong-ryong and Ryu Jin. Memorial rites are held every spring and autumn.
• Crape myrtles: about 120 crape myrtle trees turn the academy red from mid-July through August. Six around Jondeoksa are protected trees roughly 400 years old.

Good to know

• Ryu Seong-ryong wrote the "Jingbirok", a record of the war meant as a warning to later generations. The academy holds about 3,000 volumes in some 1,000 titles, including his collected works.
• Byeongsan Seowon was inscribed in 2010 as part of "Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong" and in 2019 as one of the nine academies of "Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies".

Nearby

• Hahoe Folk Village: Ryu Seong-ryong's home village, about 2.5 km away. Visiting both on the same day is the usual plan.
• Hahoe World Mask Museum: a mask museum about 2.4 km away, on the way to Hahoe.
• Bongjeongsa: an old mountain temple about 16 km northeast.

Tripto tips

• Hours and fees: summer 09:00–18:00, winter 09:00–17:00, open every day. Admission and parking are free.
• When to go: mid-July to August, when the crape myrtles bloom, is the most colourful and crowded time. For a quiet view from Mandaeru, come early in the morning or on a weekday.
• Etiquette: the buildings are protected heritage. Follow on-site instructions on whether you may go up into the pavilion, and never hang anything on or lean against the pillars and floors.
• Time needed: 40 minutes to an hour for the academy alone, half a day combined with Hahoe.
• Information: 054-858-5929.