Cheongwonsa Daeungjeon Hall, Anseong

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2309

Category

Architecture

Era

조선시대

Designated year

2026

Location

안성시, 경기도— 경기도 안성시 통심길 16-102(원곡면) 청원사

Coordinates

37.071339, 127.173694Kakao address conversion

This English description was machine-translated and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the original Korean text for details.

Anseong Cheonwon Temple is estimated to have been established in the late Goryeo period or earlier, based on surviving artifacts including Goryeo-period stone pagodas, hand-copied Buddhist scriptures, and content organized by scholar Hwang Su-yeong in 'Goryeo-period Hand-copied Scriptures of Anseong Cheonwon Temple,' along with records preserved in Joseon-period geographies and local administrative documents, confirming it as a historically significant temple in the former Yangseong County region. Although the Daeung Hall's exact construction date remains uncertain, a beam inscription documenting 1854 repairs combined with analysis of bracket carving and construction methodology suggests construction during early Joseon, specifically datable to the mid-15th century through scientific wood species analysis and dendrochronological dating. Scientific investigations conducted during 2001 restoration work revealed substantial remaining bracket timber evidence, permitting identification of original construction methods and contemporary architectural practices. The building exemplifies architectural problem-solving adopted by economically disadvantaged small temples, offering scholars valuable insight into craftspeople's ingenuity, possessing high scholarly worth. The Daeung Hall features a three-bay front, three-bay depth, with a gable roof composition distinguished by its front elevation employing multiple-bracket style brackets while the rear simultaneously exhibits projecting simple bracket style construction, uniquely combining contrasting bracket types on a single building. This design exemplifies the transitional period when Goryeo-period column-head bracket style gradually evolved into early-Joseon projecting simple bracket style, well-documenting architectural continuity across periods. Notably, the projecting simple bracket style with lotus flower corbel decoration appearing only at Cheonwon Temple demonstrates originality as a prototype for the expanded use of lotus and flower-pattern corbel ornamentation evident in post-17th-century bracket construction. The planned integration methodology combining two distinct bracket styles on a single structure also possesses important historical value for understanding contemporary construction techniques. Thus Anseong Cheonwon Temple's Daeung Hall constitutes a critically important structure in Korean architectural history, demonstrating processes of cultural inheritance and transformation while representing 16th-century architectural formal and decorative characteristics, warranting designation as a National Treasure based on substantial historical, artistic, and scholarly merit.

Location