Where Joseon’s Humility Breathes, Daejeon Dongchundang

[korea] Where Joseon’s Humility Breathes, Daejeon Dongchundang

Located in Songchon-dong, Hoedeok, in the quiet downtown area of ​​Daejeon Metropolitan City, South Korea, ‘Dongchundang (同春堂)’ is a place that makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time to the Joseon Dynasty. It is neither splendid nor grandiose, but the spirit and architectural beauty contained within it are rather simple and noble, deeply resonating with the hearts of those who see it.

This is a detached building built in 1643 by Dongchundang Song Jun-gil (1606–1672), a scholar and high-ranking official in the mid-Joseon Dynasty, when he was 38 years old. It was originally built by his father Song I-chang, but it was moved to its current location and rebuilt, completing the current ‘Dongchundang.’ Afterwards, in 1678, after the death of Song Jun-gil, his close friend and representative of Joseon Confucianism, Song Si-yeol, wrote a plaque that read ‘Dongchundang’ to further solidify the identity of the building.

‘Dongchun (同春)’ means ‘spring with all things’. This phrase contains the ideal of a scholar who wanted to live as one with nature. Confucian scholars at the time were wary of extravagant lives and considered frugality a virtue. That’s why Dongchundang’s ondol room did not have a separate chimney, but only had a small hole in the bottom side of the building to let out smoke. By keeping the smoke out, it perfectly embodies the humility of the era when it was considered shameful to enjoy warmth.

The building structure is also simple and modest. It is 3 kan in the front and 2 kan on the side, with 4 kan on the right as a wooden floor and 2 kan on the left as an ondol room. The front, back, and sides of the house are surrounded by a porch, and when the door is opened, the inside and outside become one space, without any boundaries with nature. Sometimes, the wisdom of Joseon, which chose wind and sunlight over walls, permeates this place.

During the roof repair process that took place between 2012 and 2013, the 1617 Sangryangmun, the 1649 relocation record, and the 1709 repair details were confirmed. In this way, Dongchundang is not just a building, but also a record of ‘life and spirit’ that has endured in the same place through three eras.

Dear readers from overseas, there is such architecture in Korea. A house that puts the heart before the exterior, and teaches humility over convenience. Under a roof that tries not to stand out, the breath of a scholar who loved learning and embraced people still remains.

This is Korea Dongchundang. If you have a chance to travel to Daejeon, be sure to stop by this place where you can spend a quiet and elegant time in the middle of a bustling city. The heart of an old scholar who wanted to keep his essence even in a busy world will quietly welcome you.

*The above text is [full text] translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working to improve comprehension. Please note that there may be errors in the English translation.