Gwanghalluwon Garden
Gwanghalluwon Garden in Namwon, the backdrop to Chunhyangjeon inspired by Taoist ideas
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Planning the visit
Gwanghalluwon Garden is stop 3 of 7 on the Folk Music Route.
The stamp is not at the site itself but at the Tourist information center at Gwanghalluwon Garden, so check the opening hours of that building rather than the site.
Admission is charged: Adults KRW 3,000 / Teenagers, Soldiers KRW 2,000 / Children KRW 1,500.
The two closest stamp points are Yugok-ri and Durak-ri Tumuli, 25 km away, and Training Center for Imsil Pilbong Nongak at 25 km. All three fit into one day.
Details
- Address
- 1447, Yocheon-ro, Namwon-si, Jeollabuk-do
- Stamp zone
- Tourist information center at Gwanghalluwon Garden
- Hours
- April ~ October: 08:00-21:00 November ~ March: 08:00-20:00
- Admission
- Adults KRW 3,000 / Teenagers, Soldiers KRW 2,000 / Children KRW 1,500
- Phone
- 063-625-4861
- Website
- www.gwanghallu.or.kr
- Coordinates
- 35.40280, 127.37954
What the campaign says about it
Namwon Gwanghallu (treasure) is one of the most beautiful pavilions in Korea. Gwanghallu Pavilion, which is widely considered one of the four best examples of traditional pavilions in Korea (along with Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Seoul, Pubyokru Pavilion in Pyongyang, and Chokseoknu Pavilion in Jinju), was built in 1419 CE by Hwang Hui, who served as a prime minister during the Joseon Dynasty, when he was exiled to Namwon. The current building was rebuilt in 1638 CE (16th year of King Injo) after the pavilion burned to the ground during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1597 CE. The garden where Gwanghallu is located is called Gwanghalluwon, and it holds an important place in the history of landscaping architecture in Korea. The landscaping culture of the Joseon Dynasty reflects principles from the five elements of yin and yang, feng shui geography, Neo-Confucian worldview, and Taoist ideology. Gwanghalluwon Garden is a great example of these dynamics. Gwanghallu means the “Palace of the Moon,” and the pond inside Gwanghalluwon Garden symbolizes the Milky Way. The bridge installed over the pond is an Ojakgyo Bridge, where Gyeonwoo and Jiknyeo used to meet on the 7th of July every year. The three small islands created in the pond symbolize Bongnaesan Mountain, Bangjangsan Mountain, and Yeongjusan Mountain where the Taoist gods live. Overall, Gwanghalluwon Garden was built as an incarnation of a utopia where the gods live. Interestingly, the Garden is where Seong Chun-hyang and Lee Do-ryeong, the protagonists of Chunhyangjeon, first met each other. Gwanghalluwon Garden is home to a Chunhyang Sadang Shrine, which enshrines the portrait of Chunhyang drawn by Kim Eun-ho, Chunhyanggwan Hall, which contains various information related to Seong Chun-hyang, and a rebuilt thatched house of the house she used to live in. Namwon Gwanghallu Pavilion was built when the famous Hwang Hui was exiled to Namwon during the Joseon Dynasty, and was initially called the Gwangtongnu Pavilion. It was renamed Gwanghallu after it was rebuilt by Jeong In-ji in 1434 CE (16th year of King Sejong). The current building was rebuilt in 1638 CE (16th year of King Injo) after the pavilion burned to the ground during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1597 CE.
Quoted from the Visit Korean Heritage Campaign.
Getting there
Get off at the KTX Namwon station → Take bus no. 1-330- 102 at the Namwon station bus stop → Get off at Standard Chartered Korea bus stop → Walk for 4 minutes
Photographs
Photographs supplied by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.