Cheongpung Cultural Heritage Complex

When Chungju Dam flooded the old county town of Cheongpung, its heritage was moved up the hillside and rebuilt here. Government offices, a Confucian school, old houses and stone monuments now stand above the lake, led by Hanbyeongnu, a pavilion from the Goryeo period. Because an entire town's legacy moved house, the complex feels quite different from a typical folk village.

Moving a drowned town

Construction of the multipurpose Chungju Dam began in 1978 and finished in 1985. As the Cheongpung area along the Namhan River was about to disappear underwater, surveys of the sites started in 1980, and from 1983 the buildings were dismantled and rebuilt here in their original form. The complex opened in 1985 and now goes by the name Cheongpung Cultural Heritage Complex.

Cheongpung had been the seat of a local magistrate since the Goryeo period and remained an important river town in the Joseon era. The complex holds around 40 heritage items, from the school and offices to houses and stone monuments, including national Treasures and provincial cultural properties.

What to see

• Hanbyeongnu: built in 1317 as an annex of the magistrate's office after Cheongpung was raised to county status, and designated a Treasure. A stepped side wing gives it an unusual shape, and from its floor the lake opens out in front of you.
• Paryeongnu: the gate tower of the Cheongpung office, a pavilion on top of a stone arch, rebuilt by magistrate Yi Jik-hyeon in 1870.
• Geumnamnu and Geumbyeongheon: a gate tower from 1825 and an office hall built in 1681, originally called Myeongwolcheong.
• Eungcheonggak and old houses: a two-storey building that once stood next to Hanbyeongnu, plus farmhouses from the flooded villages that show how ordinary families lived in this province.
• Stone monuments: steles and Buddhist statues gathered from across the submerged area.

Good to know

• Next to the complex is a historical village set built by the broadcaster SBS, used for dramas such as "Daemang" (2002) and "Jang Gil-san" (2004).
• The relocated buildings were set up to keep their original orientation as far as possible, which is why Hanbyeongnu faces the water.
• The complex started on about 16,000 pyeong in 1983 and has since grown to 85,000 pyeong. It holds two Treasures, nine provincial tangible cultural properties and around 2,000 everyday artefacts.
• The signboard on Geumnamnu was written by magistrate Jo Gil-won, who built the gate. Hwangseok-ri House is unusual for having an extra room behind the main room and a place for ancestral tablets in a corner of the central hall.

Tripto tips

• Hours: March to October 09:00–18:00, November to February 09:00–17:00, open every day.
• Admission: adults KRW 3,000, teenagers and soldiers KRW 2,000, children KRW 1,000; 50% off on "Culture Day", the last Wednesday of each month.
• Time needed: allow 1 to 1.5 hours to walk up and down the hill to all the pavilions and houses. Wear comfortable shoes.
• When to go: cherry blossom season and autumn foliage make the lake views especially good. Buses are infrequent, so a car or taxi from central Jecheon is easiest.