Oksan Seowon

Oksan Seowon is a Joseon-period Confucian academy beside a mountain stream in Angang, Gyeongju. It was founded to honour the Neo-Confucian scholar Yi Eon-jeok (Hoejae) and is counted, with Dosan Seowon in Andong, among the leading academies of the Yeongnam region. Old halls and a stream sliding over broad rock slabs make a lovely setting, and in 2019 it was inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies".

History: an academy for Yi Eon-jeok

Yi Eon-jeok (1491–1553) left office and built a house by a stream at Oksan, near his home village of Yangdong, where he devoted himself to Neo-Confucian study. His thought passed to Yi Hwang (Toegye) and laid the groundwork for the Yeongnam school. After his death, the Gyeongju magistrate Yi Je-min founded the academy here in 1572, and in 1573 King Seonjo granted it the name "Oksan", making it a royally chartered seowon.

Oksan was one of the 47 academies that survived the regent Heungseon Daewongun's closure order of 1871. Thanks to that, Yi Eon-jeok's writings, calligraphy by famous masters and rare books have been preserved; it is considered one of the seowon with the largest libraries in Korea. It was designated a Historic Site in 1967.

What to see

• Yeongnangmun and Mubyeollu: past the main gate, Yeongnangmun, the two-storey Mubyeollu pavilion forms the front of the academy.
• Guindang: the lecture hall, rebuilt after a fire in 1839. Its signboards were written by leading calligraphers including Han Seok-bong, Kim Jeong-hui and Yi San-hae.
• Mingujae and Amsujae: the east and west dormitories in front of the hall, where students lived and studied.
• Cheinmyo: the shrine behind the lecture hall, holding Yi Eon-jeok's spirit tablet, following the "study in front, shrine behind" layout.
• Sesimdae and the stream: Sesimdae, one of five rocks Yi Eon-jeok named, lies in the stream beside the academy, where the water drops in small falls into a pool.

On to Dongnakdang

A short distance up the valley stands Dongnakdang, the men's quarters of Yi Eon-jeok's house, built in 1516. A latticed opening in the side wall lets you look out at the stream from the main hall, and the pavilion Gyejeong behind it hangs over the water. Dongnakdang is open at all times and free.

Good to know

• Yi Eon-jeok named five rocks along the stream in front of Dongnakdang: Gwaneodae, Takyeongdae, Sesimdae, Jingsimdae and Yeonggwidae. The academy stands at Sesimdae, a name meaning a place to wash the mind in the falling water and pursue learning in the company of nature.
• Southeast of the academy is Cheongbungak, a library built by Yi's descendants in 1972, which keeps his manuscript Supil gobon (a Treasure), a copy of the Samguk sagi and many other books.
• Oksan was first inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2010 together with Yangdong Village, and again in 2019 as one of the Korean Neo-Confucian academies.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: April–September 09:00–18:00, October–March 09:00–17:00; open every day.
• Prices: free entry and free parking. Information: 054-762-6567.
• When to go: after rain the falls at Sesimdae are at their best; the valley is also beautiful in autumn colour.
• Time needed: 40 minutes to an hour for the academy, about an hour and a half including Dongnakdang.
• Combine with: Yangdong Village, Yi Eon-jeok's home village about 8 km away, makes a natural pairing on the same day.