Hwaseokjeong Pavilion

Hwaseokjeong is a Joseon-era pavilion on a cliff above the Imjin River at Yulgok-ri, Paju. It belonged to the family of Yi I (pen name Yulgok), one of Korea's great Confucian scholars, and a poem he is said to have written here at the age of eight still hangs inside. From the pavilion floor you look straight down on a great bend of the Imjin, in border country close to North Korea.

The Yulgok family pavilion

The pavilion is said to have been built in 1443 by Yi Myeong-sin, Yi I's ancestor five generations back, on the spot where the late-Goryeo scholar Gil Jae had stayed. In 1478 Yi I's great-grandfather rebuilt it, and the scholar Yi Suk-ham named it Hwaseok, "flowers and stones", after a phrase in the writings on the country villa of the Tang-dynasty statesman Li Deyu.

Yulgok-ri was Yi I's ancestral home. He repaired the pavilion, came here whenever he could, and after retiring from office is said to have discussed poetry and scholarship here with his students. Inside, on the back wall, hangs the Palse Busi, a five-character verse he supposedly wrote here at eight. It opens with the line "林亭秋已晩" ("In the forest pavilion, autumn is already late") and goes on to paint the river, red maples, the moon and passing wild geese.

Burned and rebuilt

A story from the Imjin War of 1592 clings to the pavilion: as King Seonjo fled north and crossed the Imjin at night, the pavilion was set alight to illuminate the river. In fact it did burn during the war and stood empty for more than 80 years until Yi I's great-grandsons rebuilt it in 1673. It burned again in the Korean War in 1950, and the present building was reconstructed in 1966 with money raised by local Confucian scholars. It was designated a Gyeonggi Province Tangible Cultural Heritage in 1974.

What to look for

• The pavilion: three bays wide and two deep under a hipped-and-gabled roof. The name board on the front was written by former president Park Chung-hee.
• The poem board: look inside for Yi I's childhood poem.
• The river view: below the cliff the Imjin swings round in a wide curve. Military fencing runs along the bank, a reminder that this is border territory.
• Old trees: large zelkova trees around the pavilion give shade.

Yi I and the Imjin War

Before the Japanese invasion, Yi I is said to have urged the court to train an army of 100,000 men to prepare for an attack, advice that was not taken. That is why the story of King Seonjo crossing the river by the light of this burning pavilion has been retold so dramatically. Another anecdote says the Ming envoy Huang Hongxian, impressed by Yi I's learning, came here to compose poems.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: listed opening hours are 09:00–17:00 and entry is free. The car park below the pavilion is small, with about 15 spaces.
• Time needed: around 30 minutes for the pavilion and the river view.
• When to go: late October to early November, when the autumn colours match the scene of Yi I's poem. Late afternoon light on the river is lovely.
• Getting there: public transport is inconvenient, so a car or taxi is best. The address is 152-72 Hwaseokjeong-ro, Papyeong-myeon, Paju.
• Combine with: Imjingak is a short drive away, or follow Yulgok's trail to Jaunseowon in Beobwon-eup, Paju, where Yi I is buried.