Gimje Hyanggyo Confucian School

In the middle of Gimje, on the slope south of Seongsan Park, stands Gimje Hyanggyo, a state Confucian school of the Joseon era. What makes it stand out is the layout: the gate pavilion Manhwaru, the lecture hall Myeongnyundang and the shrine Daeseongjeon line up on one straight axis instead of framing a courtyard. About 130 m to the east is the Gimje government office, where both the magistrate's office and his residence survive, and in 2007 the two were designated together as a national Historic Site, the "Government Office and Hyanggyo of Gimje-gun".

History: founded in 1404, rebuilt in 1635

A hyanggyo was a government-run school that combined a shrine to Confucius and other sages with the education of local students. Gimje Hyanggyo was founded in 1404, in the reign of King Taejong, and burned down in 1597 during the second Japanese invasion. It stood in ruins for decades until it was rebuilt in 1635, modelled on Jangsu Hyanggyo. Under Joseon the state supplied it with land, servants and books, but after the Gabo Reforms of 1894 introduced modern schooling, teaching stopped and only the rites remained.

The lecture hall was repaired in 1842 and 1879, partly destroyed in the Korean War and restored in 1958. The gate pavilion is described as rebuilt in 1935, although some sources say it was restored in 1635 and repaired in 1964.

What to see

• Manhwaru: the two-storey gate pavilion through which you enter. Students also used it for poetry gatherings.
• Myeongnyundang and the dormitories: the lecture hall is five bays wide and three deep. The east and west dormitories housed students; tradition says the east wing was for yangban (aristocratic) students and the west for commoners and sons of secondary wives.
• Daeseongjeon: the Confucian shrine, listed as a provincial cultural heritage in 1971. It is three bays wide under a gabled roof, with the front bay left open as a porch. Tablets for Confucius, four other sages and four Song-dynasty scholars are kept here, and the side halls honour 18 Korean Confucian scholars.
• The curved braces: halfway up the end pillars of the shrine, curved wooden struts shaped like the legs of an A-frame carrier stick out sideways. The same feature appears on the shrine of Jangsu Hyanggyo, a national Treasure, which fits the record that Gimje was rebuilt on Jangsu's model.

130 m away: the Gimje government office

A short walk downhill is the dongheon, where the county magistrate worked. It was built in 1667 by magistrate Min Do as Geunminheon and renamed Sachilheon when it was repaired in 1699. The hall is seven bays by four under a hipped-and-gabled roof. It served as the town office from the Japanese colonial period until the early 1960s and was restored to its original form in 1984. The magistrate's residence, the naea, survives as a U-shaped main wing, and it is rare to find an office and residence preserved together. The small pavilion Pigeumgak to the left of the courtyard is said to have been built in 1633 by Jeong Hong-myeong, son of the poet Jeong Cheol, while he was magistrate of Gimje.

Tripto tips

• Access: the gates are sometimes closed. If you want to see the inner shrine courtyard, call the hyanggyo in advance (+82 63-547-6477).
• Time needed: 30–40 minutes for the school, 1–1.5 hours together with the government office.
• Getting there: about 1.3 km west of Gimje Intercity Bus Terminal, a 20-minute walk. Gimje Station on the Honam Line is about 3 km away, so a taxi or city bus is easier. Address: 89-3 Hyanggyo-gil.
• Suggested route: start with the magistrate's office and residence, then walk up to the school to compare the world of officials and scholars. Seongsan Park behind the hyanggyo makes a short walk.
• Best time: spring greenery and autumn colours suit the tiled roofs and the wooded hill behind.