Hyangdan House in Yangdong, Gyeongju

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.412

Category

Books & Records

Era

조선시대 중기

Designated year

1964

Location

경주시, 경상북도— 경상북도 경주시 양동마을길 121-83(강동면)

Coordinates

36.000074, 129.252884

Hyangdan House was built when Yi Eon-jeok (1491-1553), a scholar of neo-Confucian doctrine, was serving as the governor of Gyeongsang-do during the mid-Joseon Dynasty. It has a unique layout compared with other typical upper-class houses as its overall configuration resembles the Chinese character '月' with an added “ㅡ”shaped haengnangchae (servants’ quarters) and partition, so it finally resembles the Chinese character '用'. As such, the haengnangchae, anchae (women’s quarters) and sarangchae (men’s quarters) are all linked with each other, and the house has two yards, of which is the garden of the inner house, the other being the garden of the servants’ quarters. The haengnangchae measures 9 kan (a unit of measurement referring to the distance between two columns) at the front and 1 kan at the sides. The main structure situated behind the haengnangchae consists of two buildings of the same size, being the servants’ quarters at the front and rear of the house. Their centers and both ends of the buildings are connected to the rooms, so the overall configuration of the buildings resembles the Chinese character ‘日’. This house has the most distinguished look and location in the town. It is regarded as an important material for study on the history of traditional Korean houses both because it has an unusual composition unlike that of other typical upper-class houses and because its spatial layout is highly practical.

Location