Jeonju Pungpaejigwan (Jeonju Gaeksa)

In the middle of downtown Jeonju, beside the busy Chunggyeong-ro, stands a large tile-roofed building. Jeonju Pungpaejigwan, usually called Jeonju Gaeksa, was the official guesthouse where visiting officials and envoys were received and lodged in the Joseon period, and it is now a national Treasure. The huge name board under its eaves gives the building its name and expresses the city's pride.

History: a guesthouse that honoured the king

Gaeksa means "guest house", and every Joseon county seat had one. It was a lodge for guests, but it had a more important role. The central hall held the jeonpae, a tablet symbolising the king, and on the first and fifteenth day of each month officials bowed towards the royal palace. Celebrations were held here on happy state occasions, and every newly appointed local official came here first to pay his respects.

The Jeonju guesthouse is believed to have been built in the early Joseon period together with the walled town, and records say it was rebuilt under King Seongjong with funds left over from establishing the Jeonju archive. It consists of the main hall, which held the king's tablet, and side wings where guests stayed.

What to see

• The "Pungpaejigwan" board: the huge board under the eaves of the main hall is the building's signature. They are traditionally said to have been written by a Chinese envoy.
• What "pungpae" means: the term comes from Feng county in Pei, the home town of Liu Bang, founder of the Han dynasty, and came to mean the home town of a dynasty's founder. King Taejo, founder of Joseon, was born in Yeongheung in the north, but Jeonju was the ancestral seat of his Jeonju Yi clan and the root of the dynasty, so it was called the dynasty's "pungpae" home.
• Main hall and wings: the higher central roof flanked by lower wings is typical of gaeksa architecture. The long wooden floor is now a resting spot for locals and visitors.

Good to know

The idea of pungpae also shaped the names of Jeonju's town gates: the south gate was Pungnammun and the west gate Paeseomun, and Pungnammun still stands. Omokdae, where King Taejo is said to have held a feast with his relatives after defeating Japanese pirates at Hwangsan, is within walking distance. The lanes behind the guesthouse, full of cafés and restaurants, are nicknamed "Gaengnidan-gil" and popular with young travellers.

In 1900 Emperor Gojong set up a stone on the top of Omokdae in honour of King Taejo, and its inscription is said to be in Gojong's own hand. For decades the guesthouse's long wooden floor has been a favourite meeting point for people in Jeonju. Every May the city holds the Pungnam Festival.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: 09:00–18:00, closed on Mondays and on Seollal and Chuseok. Admission is free.
• Getting there: about a 10-minute walk from Jeonju Hanok Village and Jeondong Cathedral. There is no parking on site, so it is best visited on foot.
• Time needed: 20–30 minutes for the building; add Gaengnidan-gil for coffee or a meal and it becomes a one-hour stop.
• Photo tip: step back towards the front of the courtyard to fit the whole name board into the frame.