Jeongsuru Pavilion Offering Ultimate

More than 40 students who studied at Jonghakdang passed Joseon’s notoriously difficult state exam for selecting government officials, which was an unusually high number when compared to other educational institutions. The scenic Jeongsuru Pavilion at Jonghakdang was a place where students could study while appreciating the beauty of nature.

Jonghakdang is a family school established by the Papyeong Yun clan to teach children, both from the clan and other families in the region. It had a crucial role as the region’s prime educational institution.
Yun Jeung taught his descendants while following strict curriculum and rules. His pursuit of academic excellence contributed to the clan’s rise as one of Joseon’s most influential families during the mid-16th century.

Location | 39-6 Jonghak-gil, Noseong-myeon, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
Foundation | 1643
Purpose | Education, Residence

House Protected by Villagers

Members of the Papyeong Yun clan were famous for their efforts to help villagers when they suffered from a lack of food and other difficulties during times of famine and natural disasters. The villagers paid them back during the Korean War (1950- 1953), by saving the Myeongjae House from destruction.

It’s said that Yun Jeung only lived for a short time at Myeongjae House, which was built by his sons in 1709. Yun was offered major government posts numerous times but declined them all while focusing on studies.

The house doesn’t have tall walls except for those that isolate the women’s quarters. The house is near a pond and surrounded by trees, as if to symbolize Yun’s humility and respect for nature.

Location | 50 Noseongsan-gil, Noseong-myeon, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
Foundation | 1650
Purpose | Residence

Jars Handed Down from Generation to Generation

A distinctive scene at the Myeongjae House is the hundreds of condiment jars placed under a huge zelkova tree. The soy sauce produced by the Yun clan’s head family — some of which are nearly three centuries old — are famous for their rich flavor. The family sells the soy sauce named as “Jeondok Ganjang.”

Ancestors’ Wisdom Hidden in Architecture
While the two buildings off the southside of the Myeongjae House are located far apart from each other, the buildings on the northern side are closely placed. In summer, the wind blows through a narrow passage from the south toward the north where a food storage is located. The layout is designed so that cool winds flow into the women’s quarters from the northern gate during summer.

On the left side facing the Myeongjae House is the Noseonghyanggyo Local Confucian School established to nurture the region’s students into promising scholars.
The school also houses the tablets of five Confucianist saints — Confucius, Yanzi, Zisi, Zengzi and Mencius — and holds ancestral rites in February and August of the lunar calendar every year.

Location | 54 Noseongsanseong-gil Noseong-myeon, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
Foundation | Before 1700s
Purpose | Education, Memorial Service

The Gweollisa Shrine, which houses a portrait of Confucius, is just five minutes’ walk away from the Myeongjae House and the Noseonghyanggyo Local Confucian School, which are all on the foot of Noseongsan Mountain.
“Noseong” is a word derived from the name of a Chinese region where Confucius had lived as an adult, while “Gweolli” is the Korean pronunciation of Queli, a town where Confucius spent his youth. Kung Tsui-chang, the Taipei-born 79th-generation descendent of Confucius, offered a memorial service at this site when he visited South Korea to attend the International Chungcheong Confucianism Forum in 2019. A stone statue of Confucius and a pagoda inscribed with the asterism Big Dipper are also located near the shrine.

Location | 35 Gyochon-gil, Noseong-myeon, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
Foundation | 1716
Purpose | Memorial Service

Hoenisibi _ Dispute Between Teacher and Pupil Provokes Faction
A personal feud between Song Si-yeol who lived in Hoedeok and his student Yun Jeung who lived in Isan developed into a larger political dispute, leading to a split between the Noron and Soron factions. Nogangseowon became the political stronghold for Soron.

Along with Donamseowon, the Nogangseowon Confucian Academy is one of Chungcheong’s two major seowon, or Confucian academies, of the 17th century. Nogangseowon was established 40 years later than Donamseowon and was run by the academic faction of Soron, which rivaled the faction of Noron at Donamseowon. The academy honors “Palsong” Yun Hwang, his son Yun Seongeo, his grandson “Myeongjae” Yun Jeung.

Location | 56-5 Ogang-gil, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
Foundation | 1675
Purpose | Education, Memorial Service