Suwon Hyanggyo Confucian School

Suwon Hyanggyo is a Joseon-era Confucian school on the slopes of Paldalsan, just south of Hwaseong Fortress. King Jeongjo moved it to this site when he built his new fortress city, and its Daeseongjeon shrine hall to Confucius is the largest of any hyanggyo in Gyeonggi Province; it was designated a Treasure in 2020. Hwaseong Haenggung Palace and Paldalmun Gate are within walking distance, so it adds an easy hour to a day at the fortress.

From Hwasan to Paldalsan

Hyanggyo were state schools set up in the provinces during the Joseon dynasty: they held rites for Confucius and other sages and taught the young men of the district. Suwon Hyanggyo was first built in the late 13th century in front of Hwasan Mountain, in what is now Wau-ri, Bongdam-eup, Hwaseong, and stood there for almost 500 years.

In 1789 King Jeongjo moved the tomb of his father, Crown Prince Sado, to Hwasan, the town centre of Suwon was relocated to the foot of Paldalsan, and the hyanggyo moved with it. The move was rushed and most of the old timber was reused, but the lower parts of the buildings stood in water and began to rot. On the 11th day of the intercalary second lunar month of 1795, during his royal procession to Hwaseong, Jeongjo paid his respects in person in the Daeseongjeon and ordered it and the east and west halls rebuilt; the work was finished that August. The process is recorded in detail in the "Hwaseong Seongyeok Uigwe", the official report on the fortress construction.

Study in front, shrine behind

The school follows the classic layout of a lecture area at the front and a shrine area behind. Past the dismounting stele and the red gate at the entrance you reach, in order:

• Outer gate: a triple gate with a raised central roof.
• Myeongnyundang: the lecture hall, five bays wide and two deep under a hipped-and-gabled roof, where students studied. The east and west dormitories stand on either side.
• Inner gate and the east and west halls: the entrance to the shrine area, and the two halls holding the tablets of later sages.
• Daeseongjeon: five bays by three, with an open wooden floor at the front for rites. It holds 25 spirit tablets: the five sages Confucius, Yanzi, Zengzi, Zisi and Mencius, two Song-dynasty scholars, and 18 Korean scholars including Seol Chong, Choe Chi-won, Yi Hwang, Yi I and Song Si-yeol.

A hall made a Treasure

The Daeseongjeon rebuilt on Jeongjo's orders in 1795 is a 20-bay building. Along with the national Confucian shrine in Seoul and the hyanggyo of Naju, Sangju and Jeju, it is among the largest surviving Joseon-era hyanggyo shrine halls, and the largest in Gyeonggi. As a government-led project it shows the mature skills of late-Joseon state builders, and even the master carpenter can be identified from the records; these points led to its designation as a Treasure on 28 December 2020.

Rites that continue today

The school no longer teaches, but the rites go on. Incense is offered on the first and fifteenth days of every lunar month, and in spring and autumn the Seokjeon Daeje ceremony honours Confucius and the sages. The Myeongnyundang is also used for etiquette classes and traditional coming-of-age ceremonies.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: weekdays 10:00–15:30; closed at weekends and on public holidays. Weekend visits and group tours need to be booked, so call 031-245-7639 first.
• Admission: free, with parking on site.
• Time needed: 30 minutes to an hour for an unhurried look around.
• Getting there: the school is about 800 m north of Maegyo Station on the Suin-Bundang Line, a walk of around 12 minutes, and about 1.6 km from Suwon Station. Paldalmun Gate is less than 1 km away, so it fits neatly into a walk along the fortress walls.
• Best time: on the spring and autumn Seokjeon Daeje days you can watch the traditional rite. The dates follow the lunar calendar and change every year, so ask the school.