Head House of the Uiseong Kim Clan, Andong

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.450

Category

Architecture

Era

조선시대 중기

Designated year

1967

Location

안동시, 경상북도— 경상북도 안동시 내앞길 1-11(임하면)

Coordinates

36.535911, 128.856398

This house is the head house of Uiseong Kim’s Clan in Andong. The original building was burnt during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592; the house acquired its current appearance following rebuilding by Kim Seong-il (1538-1593). This house consists of three parts; sarangchae (men’s quarters), anchae (women’s quarters), and haengnangchae (servants’ quarters). Sarangchae is the place where the male host stays and receives guests and is composed of four kan (a unit of measurement referring to the distance between two columns) from the front and two kan from the side, looking like the Chinese letter “一.” Anchae, where the female host stays and takes care of the households, is shaped like the Korean letter “ㅁ”; its anbang (main room) is situated on a slightly higher place unlike other houses. Haengnangchae is linked with sarangchae and anchae, and it looks like the Chinese letter “巳.” Note, however, that there is no gate leading to the inner yard from haengnangchae, so outsiders cannot enter the house. It means that this house was built by reflecting Confucian ideas such as “distinction between sexes” and “idea on men and women.” There is a direct door to sarangchae without passing by the gate of haengnangchae. The building, which is to link sarangchae and haengnangchae, has two stories; the ground floor is the storehouse, and the first floor is the library. This kind of two-story building is a very unique example. Daecheongmun Gate (main hall's gate) was added to the western end of the house later. The large roof of the gate makes the house look grand. Since the house was built in a rather simple yet very unique construction style, it is regarded as an important cultural asset for studying a private house made during the Joseon Dynasty.

Location