Ganghwa Anglican Church

Climb the steps of a low hill in the centre of Ganghwa-eup and, beyond a tall gate, you find a hanok with a two-tiered tiled roof. The board under the eaves reads "Cheonjuseongjeon", Holy Hall of the Lord, and a cross stands at the end of the ridge. Ganghwa Anglican Church, opened in 1900, is the first church in Korea built as a traditional hanok.

History: an English bishop and a palace carpenter

The church was founded by Charles John Corfe, the first bishop of the Anglican Church in Korea, after the first Korean was baptised into the Anglican Church on Ganghwa in 1896. It was consecrated on 15 November 1900 and dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. Construction was led by a master carpenter who had worked on Gyeongbokgung Palace, and despite several repairs the church has kept its original appearance.

The traditional exterior is thought to have been chosen to soften resistance to a foreign religion. In 1915 the church produced the first Korean Anglican priest, Father Kim Hui-jun, and his ordination certificate, written in Hangeul, is still kept inside. The church was designated a Historic Site in 2001.

What to see

• A ship-shaped plan: the compound follows the outline of a ship, symbolising the ark of salvation. Steps, an outer gate, an inner gate, the church and the priest's house follow one another like the gates leading to the main hall of a mountain temple.
• Outer gate and bell: the outer gate's board names the church in Chinese characters, and the western bay of the inner gate serves as a bell house.
• The interior: inside the long building, four bays wide and ten deep, is a Roman-style basilica. Wooden columns divide the nave from the aisles and light enters through the upper windows. You enter from the west and face the altar in the east.
• Stone font: the baptismal font near the entrance is carved with four phrases in Chinese characters: cultivate yourself, cleanse your heart, cast off evil, do good.
• First priest's grave marker: it stands to the east of the outer gate.

Good to know

There is almost no Western ornament on the outside. Tiled roof, timber joinery and inscribed boards hung on the columns are all pure hanok, so stepping inside and finding a basilica is the big surprise of the visit. The church still holds services as part of the Anglican Diocese of Seoul.

The church was first listed as a Gyeonggi provincial cultural property in 1981, became an Incheon city property when Ganghwa County joined Incheon, and was raised to a national Historic Site in 2001. The protected area covers 6,452 m². In 2009 a man tried to set fire to the church but was spotted by a guard before any damage was done.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: 10:00–18:00, closed on Mondays. Admission is free.
• Getting there: the church sits on a rise off Gwancheong-gil in the centre of Ganghwa-eup. Yongheunggung, where King Cheoljong once lived, is right next door, and the Goryeo palace site is a little further uphill, so it fits well into a walk around the old town.
• Time needed: about 30 minutes for the church, or half a day with a stroll around the old town.
• Etiquette: avoid visiting the interior during services, and follow the signs on site about shoes and photography.