Walking around Donam Seowon in Nonsan.

Address - 26-14 Im3-gil, Yeonsan-myeon, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do Seowons are private institutions established in various regions during the Joseon Dynasty to hold memorial services for Confucian sages and cultivate talent. Since there were also hyanggyo, which were public educational institutions, seowons are today's private schools. Seowons, which were first created during the Tang Dynasty in China, began to appear all over the country, starting with Sosu Seowon in Yeongju in the mid-Joseon Dynasty. Unlike Chinese seowons that simply served as educational institutions, seowons in Joseon served as a hub for local culture, such as holding memorial services for local Confucian sages and edifying local residents. In recognition of this, nine seowons across the country, including Donam Seowon, were registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2018 under the name of 'Korean Seowon.' After riding a bus from Nonsan Station for about 40 minutes, Hongsalmun Gate began to appear ahead. Hongsalmun Gate is painted red to ward off bad luck. I finally felt like I was at a seodang. Seowon is largely divided into the Jeonmyo-hudang style, where the shrine enshrining the ancestral tablets of the sages is located in front, and the Jeonhak-humyo style, where the lecture hall where Confucian students study is located in front. Donam Seowon adopts the Jeonhak-humyo style. Upon entering the entrance, a ㄷ-shaped lecture space appears. Yangseongdang in the middle functions as a classroom, and Dongjae and Seojae on either side function as dormitories. I leaned against the pillar of Yangseongdang and looked at the opposite side of Seowon. The wide-open surroundings and the mountains decorating the horizon like a folding screen. It must have been just the thing to relax the eyes of the Confucian students who were tired from reading the text. I walked and paid attention to the walls of Seowon. The walls of Donam Seowon were neither too high nor too low. I could see beyond the walls without having to lift my toes. Wasn't the original purpose of a wall to separate spaces? The wall of Donam Seowon was low, making the role of a wall that blocks the outside and the inside seem meaningless. The spirit of Joseon scholars who enjoyed the elegance even while studying with nature was hidden even in the walls that could easily be considered trivial. #Domestic travel #Safe travel #Nonsan travel #Nonsan #Donam Seowon #jhtour #Life travel destination #Life shot spot