Uiseong Gounsa Yeonsujeon to Become a Treasure

"Small in Scale but Possessing the Formality, Techniques, and Decorations Suitable for Royal Architecture"

The Yeonsujeon Hall of Uiseong Gounsa Temple, said to have been founded by the Silla monk Uisang, is set to be designated as a Treasure.

On the 25th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced the preliminary designation of ‘Uiseong Gounsa Yeonsujeon (義城 孤雲寺 延壽殿)’ as a Treasure. Yeonsujeon is the main hall of the giroso (耆老所) located at the center of the temple. Giroso refers to an institution established to honor civil officials of the second rank or higher who are over seventy years old. In the case of the king, he would enter the giroso after turning sixty. Four kings of the Joseon Dynasty visited the giroso: Taejo, Sukjong, Yeongjo, and Gojong.

Gounsa Yeonsujeon was built in 1904 to commemorate King Gojong’s entry into the giroso in 1902. It was constructed following the precedent of Bongakgak, the giroso of King Yeongjo located at Gounsa. The main gate, Mansemun, is a gate with a traditional three-arched roof, and the hall is surrounded by walls on all sides, clearly separating it from other areas within the temple.

The main building is erected on three tiers of stone terraces. It is a single-story paljakjip (a roof style with triangular gables on both sides) with three bays in the front and three bays on the side. The central bay serves as the royal document enshrinement room (Eocheop, 御帖), where the king’s admission documents to the giroso are kept, and a corridor (toeggan) surrounds it. The bracket system supporting the eaves is of the ikgong style, with interlocking wooden joints at the top of the columns to bear the weight of the eaves. The decorative wooden components are carved in two layers. Between the columns of the central bay, a single set of ikgong brackets is also arranged.

The upper parts of the columns are painted with geumdancheong (a traditional Korean decorative coloring). The ceiling is adorned with polychrome murals depicting various themes such as dragons and phoenixes, the sun and moon, cranes and unicorns (ilgaksu, 一角獸), pine trees and lingzhi mushrooms, lotus flowers, and clouds, which are rarely seen elsewhere. An official stated, “Although small in scale, it possesses the formality, techniques, and decorations befitting a royal architectural style,” and added, “It is evaluated as a valuable example in terms of function and architectural style.”

The Cultural Heritage Administration will collect opinions from various sectors for one month and finalize the designation as a Treasure after review by the Cultural Heritage Committee.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.