Dosan Seowon (alternatively, ''Tosansowon'') was established in 1574 in what is present day
Andong
Andong () is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city. Andong is a ...
, South Korea, in memory of and four years after the death of
Korean Confucian scholar
Yi Hwang
Yi Hwang (January 3, 1502– January 3, 1571) was the most important Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. He was a figure of the Neo-Confucian literati, established the Yeongnam School and set up the Dosan S ...
by some of his disciples and other Korean Confucian authorities. Yi Hwang had retired to the location in 1549 and begun construction on the facility, a private
Korean Confucian academy offering instruction in the classics and honouring the sages with regular memorial rites.
Like other Korean Confucian academies, Dosan Seowon serves two purposes: education and commemoration. The site was well known in
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
as one of the leading academies and was home to the
Toegye School of Thought
Yi Hwang (January 3, 1502– January 3, 1571) was the most important Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. He was a figure of the Neo-Confucian literati, established the Yeongnam School and set up the Dosan ...
for over 400 years. Although the educational function of the facility has long since ceased, the commemorative ceremonies have been and are still held twice a year.
The ancient academy was royally chartered in 1575 by
King Seonjo and was featured on the reverse of the South Korean 1,000
won bill from 1975 to 2007 (
BOK Series Designation Series II (나) 1983–2002).
Construction
The Dosan Seowon complex consists of "Dosan Seodang" (lecture hall), which Toegye built and where he taught his students and where a tablet reading "Dosan Seowon", that was a gift from King Seonjo, still hangs, "Nongun Jeongsa," (dormitory for the students), and "Jeongyodang," (square lotus pond).
Dosan Seodang is composed of three parts; an exposed floor, a large room, and a kitchen. As Toegye was not wealthy, it took him four years to complete the construction of this building. A small signboard reading "Dosan Seowon", whose calligraphy Toegye he himself wrote, still hangings on one of the pillars at the end of Dosan Seodang.
Looking carefully at the Dosan Seodang floor, you will see an extension made of wooden planks. One of Toegye’s students, Jeonggu, recommended that Toegye extend the building's floor to accommodate more students. But although Toegye turned down Jeonggu's recommendation, Jeonggu and his fellow students hastily attached wooden planks to the floor while Toegye was out. Consequently, this part of the floor is not very elegant in construction and appearance (see Gallery photo below).
The garden is small but Toegye dug a small square pond called "Jeongudang" in the eastern part of the compound where he raised lotus flowers, and planted apricot trees in the western part. Toegye used to call apricots, bamboos, chrysanthemums, and pine trees his "friends", but he loved apricot trees most.
[Evidence of his love of the apricot tree is one given to him by his kisaeng lover, Doo-hyang, sad to part with him. His final words were, "Water the (ume) tree".]
Gallery
File:Korea-Andong-Dosan Seowon 3005-06.JPG, Jangpangak (publishing center) at Dosan Seowon, where woodblock prints of important texts were made.
Image:Dosanseowon3.jpg, The library – raised to avoid humidity damage to the contents.
File:Korea-Andong-Dosan Seowon 2993-06.JPG, Dosan Seodang (lecture hall) featured on reverse of 1000 Won bill showing Jeonggu's hastily attached wooden planks
File:Korea-Andong-Dosan Seowan 3013-06 museum.JPG, The modern museum building on the Dosan Seowon compound.
File:Korea-Andong-Dosan Seowon 3016-06.JPG, Dosan Seodang and Jeongyodang on the back of the 1000 Won note
See also
*
List of seowon
This is a partial list of seowon. The seowon were Korean Confucian institutions which combined the roles of Confucian shrine
A temple of Confucius or Confucian temple is a temple for the veneration of Confucius and the sages and philosophe ...
*
Korean Confucianism
Korean Confucianism is the form of Confucianism that emerged and developed in Korea. One of the most substantial influences in Korean intellectual history was the introduction of Confucian thought as part of the cultural influence from China.
T ...
*
Yi Hwang
Yi Hwang (January 3, 1502– January 3, 1571) was the most important Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. He was a figure of the Neo-Confucian literati, established the Yeongnam School and set up the Dosan S ...
*
Won
*
Tourism in South Korea
References
*''Tosansowon'', South Korean Historic Site No. 170 Plaque, on site at Dosan Seowon, October 1, 2000.
External links
*
*{{cite web , year=2002 , title=Dosan Seowon: Most prestigious school of Joseon Dynasty era , format=http , work=Korea Now , url=http://kn.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2002/09/26/200209260028.asp , accessdate=February 3, 2006 , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://archive.today/20030105223632/http://kn.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2002/09/26/200209260028.asp , archivedate=January 5, 2003 , df=mdy-all
Seowon
Andong
1574 establishments in Asia
Buildings and structures in North Gyeongsang Province
Tourist attractions in North Gyeongsang Province
16th-century establishments in Korea