문화가 숨쉬는 울산중구 - Ulsan Jung-gu Tour

The Hyanggyo Confucian School is a local education institute officially operated during the Joseon period. Its curriculum comprises the poetry, prose, and Chinese classics studying Confucian scriptures. It has two kinds of buildings, Confucian shrines and a school. The Confucian shrines are Daeseongjeon Hall, enshrining Confucius, four sages and two wise men of China and 18 wise men of Korea, as well as the East Shrine and West Shrine. The school includes Myeongryundang, the lecture hall, and the East Dormitory and West Dormitory. It is estimated that Ulsanhyanggyo was built in about the 15th century when the one-village-one-Hyanggyo system was established. While it was built at Bangu-dong Gugyo village at present, north of Shinhakseong, at the time of its establishment, it was burned down during the Japanese invasion in 1592 and rebuilt. In 1652 (3rd year of King Hyojong’s reign during the Joseon period), it was moved to the present location. At that time, only the major facilities of Hyanggyo were built including Daeseongjeon Hall, the East and West Shrine, and the East and West Dormitory. In 1711 (37th year of King Sukjong’s reign), the gate tower in five Kans was built and the signboard ‘Jaksinnu’ was placed on it. Its name was changed to ‘Cheongwonnu’ in 1796 (20th year of King Jeongjo’s reign). While it was repaired 26 times since 1800, it retains the basic features of the conventional Hyanggyo configuration, which arranged main buildings at right angles, north and south to east and west.