Cultural Heritage Administration Announces Designation of Gyesi Village in Yeongdeok-gun as National Folk Cultural Property

A panoramic view of Gyesil Village, Yeongdeok County.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] Gyeongbuk Province announced on the 4th that the Cultural Heritage Administration has preliminarily designated 'Yeongdeok Gwaesi Village' in Yeonghae-myeon, Yeongdeok-gun as a National Folk Cultural Property.

'Yeongdeok Gwaesi Village' is a clan village and traditional village where the descendants of the Nam family from Yeongyang, who settled there in the 8th year of King Injo's reign (1630), have lived for 40 years. It is also known as the birthplace of Mogeun Yi Saek (1328?1396), a great Confucian scholar of the late Goryeo period.

Within the village, there are 17 cultural properties including the Nam family Gwaesi branch ancestral home (Gyeongbuk Folklore Material No. 75), as well as many old houses, seodang (village schools), pavilions, and jesa (ancestral rites) halls, along with about 20 non-designated traditional buildings. Traditional customs and culture such as folk practices, faith, and rituals have been passed down together.

Most of the houses in the village are based on the typical floor plans and layouts of the northern Gyeongbuk yangban (aristocratic) houses, showing partial differences in floor plans and composition by period. This is recognized as an important historical resource with high status for studying the chronological changes and characteristics of residential forms in the Yeongnam region.

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, "We will continue to actively discover valuable and excellent cultural properties within the province to enhance the status of Gyeongbuk's cultural heritage and utilize them as historical and cultural tourism resources."

Meanwhile, in the past three years in Gyeongbuk Province, a total of 45 properties have been designated as national cultural heritage, including 2 national treasures, 30 treasures, 3 historic sites, 3 natural monuments, 3 national intangible cultural properties, and 4 national folk cultural properties, including the main hall of Bonghwangsa Temple in Andong.

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