The ginkgo of Jeonjuhyanggyo Confucian School
There are 2 trees of 400-year-old each in the front yard of Daeseongjeon Hall and Myeongnyundang. It implies a wish for the students to grow with healthy thoughts and be good adult-like ginkgo is a tree clean from insects. There are some fun facts about the ginkgo trees.
The ginkgo at the right side of Daeseongjeon is called “monoecious tree“, since there’s a story that the male tree became female and became to produce ginkgo nut. People are still doing ancestral service with the ginkgo nut out of this tree. Also, there was a legend that if a person picks ginkgo nut and makes their wishes, the person can pass the national examination.
The cradle of the Joseon Dynasty Local education, Jeonjuhyanggyo Confucian School
Jeonjuhyanggyo Confucian School, educational institution of the Joseon Dynasty corresponding to current middle·high school, was built in king Kongmin 3rd year (1354). In 1603, patrolman Jang Mahn made a recommendation to the Royal Court that the location is against the rule of left-temple-right-cemetery. Under King’s allowance, Jeonjuhyanggyo was moved to the current location.
Jeonjuhyanggyo Confucian School was prominent as much as it was called as the capital Confucian School among the 53 towns of Jeolla Province.
For precinct buildings in the second half of Joseon Dynasty, it consisted of total 99 rooms of large scale buildings including Daeseongjeon Shrine(3 rooms); Dongmu, Seomu, Sinmun, Oemun, Manhwaru(10 rooms for each); Myeongnyundang Lecture Hall(5 rooms); Dongjae, Seojae(6 rooms for each); Gyeseongsa(3 rooms), Sinmun, Ipdeokmun Gate, Samajae(4 rooms), Yangsajae(6 rooms), Chaekpango(2 rooms), faculty room, Jegigo, Suboksil, etc.
Later, Manhwaru was submerged with the flood in the 23rd year of King Gojong. The governor of Jeolla-do, Jo Han-Guk, moved the woodblocks of the district office to Chaekpango in order to manage it, however, the Chaekpango was nearly lost due to the flood in 1920 and the Korean War in 1950.
In the center of Daeseongjeon Shrine, ancestral tablets of 10-cheol and Songjo-6-hyeon are honored along with tablets of five saints, such as Confucius, Yanzi, Zisi, Zengzi, Mencius, etc. Moreover, tablets of 18 scholars in Korea are also enshrined.
Because most of the Confucian School were located at the hill, the Daeseongjeon Hall was located behind them, while Jeonjuhyanggyo Confucian School was located on a plain and Daeseongjeon Hall is located in the front. The current Confucian School went through major restores and designated as the historical property No.379 in 1992.
Source: Jeonju city
