Gallery: Historic boarding schools seek top UNESCO marks

Nine of Korea's centuries-old Confucion institutions are battling it out for this year's honors

By Cin Woo Lee 27 January, 2012

Donam Seowon

This beautiful seowon was built in 1634 to honor Confucian scholar Kim Jang-saeng. To this day Confucian scholars hold commemorative rites for Kim and three other scholars (Kim Jib, Song Jun-gil, and Song Si-yeol) twice a lunar year.

Donam Seowon

The academy was relocated in 1880 as its original site was prone to floods.

Eungdodang, Donam Seowon

There are several separate buildings in this academy, including Eungdo-dang, Jeonghoe-dang, and Yangseong-dang. The curved timber on the roof is regarded as an architectural quirk.

Donam Seowon

One of the few seowons to survive the Seowon Abolition Decree of 1871, Donam Seowon currently belongs to the Kims of Gwangsan -- a prestigious family from the Chungcheong province.

Dodong Seowon

Dodong Seowon is one of the five largest seowons in Korea -- the four others are Byeongsan, Oksan, Sosu, Dosan -- and houses the spirit tablet of scholars Hanfundang (한훤당) Kim Gweng-pil and Hangang (한강) Jung-gu.

Dodong Seowon

This serenely beautiful school was originally built on the eastern foot of Biseul mountain in 1568, but it burned down during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. In 1605, however, sarims -- Confucian scholars -- rebuilt the seowon where it stands now. The name "dodong" means that the "do," enlightenment, of Neo-Confucianism, has moved to the east ("dong").

Namgye Seowon

Namgye Seowon is one of the 47 seowons that survived the Seowon Abolition Decree of Heungsun Daewonkoon.

Poongyeongru, Namgye Seowon

Erected in 1552, Namgye Seowon has seen its fair share of drama. It burned down in 1597 during another Japanese invasion, but was finally rebuilt in 1612.

Sosu Seowon

Sosju Seowon was the first seowon to receive its lands and name from the king (King Jungjong).

Dosan Seowon

Dosan Seowon was built in 1574 by students and Confucian scholars to honor one of the most brilliant scholars and poets of the Joseon Dynasty: Toegye Yi Hwang.

Byeongsan Seowon

Byeongsan Seowon is one seowon we wish was still functioning as an educational institute. And maybe its lovely zinnias had something to do with the fact that it also survived the Seowon Abolition Decree.

Hwagyeonru, Piram Seowon

You have model students, and you have model seowons. Piram Seowon is a model seowon, as it contains all the basic necessities of a Joseon Dynasty seowon: A site for commemorative rites, a place for education and training, a place for resting, and a library.

Piram Seowon

Local scholars built this seowon in 1590, and the king dubbed it "Piram Seowon" in 1659. This division of labor seems vaguely unfair, but there's monarchy for you.

Oksan Seowon

Oksan Seowon may no longer be a training ground for young Confucian scholars. But its library is still very much intact, currently storing 4,111 volumes, including "The Chronicles of the Three States," which is national treasure number 525.

Oksan Seowon

Nestled in the valley between Jaok mountain, Doduk mountain, Hwagae mountain, and Muhak mountain, Oksan Seowon, which also happens to be historical landmark number 154, is also known for -- surprise, surprise -- its beautiful mountain scenery.

Oksan Seowon

Oksan Seowon: Smart (with over 4,000 books in its library) and pretty (self-evident).

Museong Seowon

Museon Seowon is located at the foot of Seonghwang mountain. Seowons and mountains? Are we seeing a pattern here, or are there just a lot of mountains in Korea?

Gangsooje, Museong Seowon

Museong Sewon was built to commemorate "Gowun" Choi Chi-won, a Confucian scholar of the late Silla Dynasty who left behind a dazzling legacy while serving as the governor of Taesan.

Auditorium, Museong Seowon

Originally a temple,in 1696 it was converted into a seowon and combined with the shrines of sages and other great men, then receiving its current name: Museong.

1 of 1

Seowons were the dominant educational institutions of Korea's final dynasty -- the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). Privately owned, exclusively male, and Confucian, these elite boarding schools of yesteryear were the gathering place of the top budding intellects in the Hermit Kingdom.

With such a high concentration of the nation's cleverest minds, seowons became very powerful, with its aristocratic members enjoying privileges like tax breaks. It was a recipe for corruption, and seowons became a source of political cliques and party squabbles.

During the resign of King Gojong, the regent Heungsun Daewonkoon issued a decree that abolished hundreds of seowons, excepting the few that were officially recognized by the king.

Today they are all relics.

But if that sounds sad, there's a bright side. A whopping 637 seowons are still standing today, and the Korean media recently made much of the fact that nine of the 637 were included on UNESCO's tentative list of potential World Heritage sites earlier this month. The nine seowons may be relics, but at least they'll be relevant relics.

Not everyone would agree that UNESCO World Heritage status is a positive thing, however. "Consumption and preservation do not go together," Francesco Bandarin, assistant director-general of UNESCO said to the New York Times earlier this month.

Despite concerns about the negative side effects of UNESCO recognition, such as an overwhelming tourism influx, Korean officials say that UNESCO recognition is actually an important part of the preservation efforts for historical sites.

"The purpose of signing these sites up as World Heritage site is to protect them, not to attract tourists," said Cho Dong-joo, the deputy director at the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, who oversees the UNESCO candidates from Korea. "UNESCO can take sites off of its World Heritage list if the protection is not up to standard."

More on CNNGo: Gallery: UNESCO adds 12 sites to its World Heritage list

The nine candidates

1. Donam Seowon (돈암서원)

74 Im-ri, Yeonsan-myeon, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do (충남 논산시 연산면 임리 74번지) +82 41 736 0096; 7a.m.–6p.m.

2. Dodong Seowon (도동서원)

726 Guji-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu (대구 달성군 구지면 구지서로 726); +82 53 617 7620

3. Namgye Seowon (남계서원)

Wonpyeong-ri, Sudong-myeon, Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 함양군 수동면 원평리 586-1)

4. Sosu Seowon (소수서원)

152-8 Naejuk-ri, Sunheung-myeon, Yeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do (경북 영주시 순흥면 내죽리 152-8); +82 54 634 3310

5. Dosan Seowon (도산서원)

680 Togye-ri, Dosan-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk (경북 안동시 도산면 토계리 680번지); +82 54 840 6599; 9a.m.-6p.m. in summer, 9a.m.-5p.m. in winter

6. Oksan Seowon (옥산서원)

7 Oksan-ri, Angang-eup, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do (경북 경주시 안강읍 옥산리 7); +82 54 779 6394

7. Byeongsan Seowon (병산서원)

30 Byeongsan-ri, Pungcheon-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk (경북 안동시 풍천면 병산리 30번지); +82 54 853 2172

8. Piram Seowon (필암서원)

184 Piram Seowon-ro, Hwangnyong-myeon, Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do (전남 장성군 황룡면 필암서원로 184); +82 61 393 7270

9. Museong Seowon (무성서원)

Wonchon Village, Museong-ri, Chilbo-myeon, Jeongeup-si, Jeonbuk (전북 정읍시 칠보면 무성리 원촌마을); +82 63 536 6776

Cin Woo Lee is a freelance writer for CNNGo who enjoys the intense art of stringing words together.

Gallery: Historic boarding schools seek top UNESCO marks

Donam Seowon

Donam Seowon

Eungdodang, Donam Seowon

Donam Seowon

Dodong Seowon

Dodong Seowon

Namgye Seowon

Poongyeongru, Namgye Seowon

Sosu Seowon

Dosan Seowon

Byeongsan Seowon

Hwagyeonru, Piram Seowon

Piram Seowon

Oksan Seowon

Oksan Seowon

Oksan Seowon

Museong Seowon

Gangsooje, Museong Seowon

Auditorium, Museong Seowon

The nine candidates

you may also like

Experience Asia's Greatest Cities Up Close

MOST POPULAR

WEIRD WORLD