강화 삼랑성

Jeondeungsa Temple is most famous temple in Ganghwa-do and is known to be one of the oldest temples in Korea. It was first constructed within the Samnangseong Fortress and was named Jinjongsa Temple during the early Goryeo Dynasty. Later, when the queen of King Chungyeol donated a precious jade lantern to the temple, it was renamed the current Jeondeungsa Temple. ‘Jeondeung’ in Korean signifies the ‘donation of a lantern’. Initially established during the reign of King Sosurim in Goguryeo Dynasty, there was limited historical information about the temple until the Joseon Dynasty. However, the temple faced two major fires in 1605 and 1614, which destroyed it. Reconstruction began the following year, and by 1621, during the 13th year of King Gwanghaegun’s reign, the temple was restored to its original appearance. The Daeungbojeon Hall serves as the main building of the temple. Positioned in front of the temple precinct, it is accessed by passing underneath the entrance gate of Daejoru Tower. The hall stands as significant architectural feature, enshrining the Sakyamuni Buddha Traid. Its architectural design showcases a hip-and-gable roof with simple bracketing styles, notable for its mid-Joseon Dynasty architecture. Visitors can find the names of soldiers written on the walls and columns. These soldiers had fought against the French troops and wrote their name in the temple to pray for good fortune in war. Observing the gabled roof closely, you can notice four little crouching figures placed in the corners to support the eaves. They are known as Nabusang, which depict naked women. There is an interesting story behind these figures. Would you like to learn about it as we walk around the temple?

Daeungbojeon Hall is the main building of Jeondeungsa Temple. It showcases significant architectural work with a heartbreaking story behind. Now, let’s listen to the story and delve into the architectural design of the hall. After Jeondeungsa Temple was burnt down in the fire, King Gwanghaegun sent Dopyeonsu, the chief carpenter in Korean, to rebuild the temple. Dopyeongsu resided in a nearby inn during the reconstruction. Over time, he fell in love with the innkeeper. As bank facilities were absent then, he entrusted all his asset to her for safekeeping. Dopyeonsu worked diligently, as they had promised to marry each other once the reconstruction work was completed. However, one day, when he finished the work and returned to the inn, he found out that she had vanished a few nights prior and never returned. Outraged at her betrayal, Dopyeonsu decided to take a revenge. Consequently, he sculpted four crouching figures of naked women, known as Nabusang, under the eaves of Daeungbojeon Hall. These figures were destined to forever support the hall’s roof. The Nabusang figures are positioned at the hall’s four corners. Upon closer inspection, an interesting detail emerges. While three figures support the roof with both hands, one supports it with only a single hand. If observed closely, their facial expressions differ, suggesting a sense of cunning even while enduring punishment. The hall, owing to its exquisite carving skills, is regarded as a significant research asset for mid-Joseon architectural history and is currently designated as Treasure No. 178.

In 653, a national archive located in Manisan Mountain was burned down, and the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty that had been stored in Ganghwado went missing. Hyojong, who was the king of Joseon at the time, ordered the build of a new archive in Jeongjoksan Mountain to keep the Annals there. It was during the reign of King Hyeonjong when all of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and other books were finally moved to the archive in Jeongjoksan, which marks the beginning of the National Archive of Jeongjoksan Mountain. The history of crises of this national archive dates back to the French invasion in 1866 when French troops stole books that had been stored here. So, Joseon relocated some of the other books back to Seoul, and Chunchugwan itself started to manage the archive. During the days of the Korean Empire, according to the records, a government official was dispatched from Uijeongbu to manage the archive in cooperation with the Governor of Ganghwa-gun. During the Japanese occupation period, the books in the Jeongjoksan National Archive were moved to the school affairs section of the Japanese Government General along with the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty that had been stored in Taebaeksan National Archive. Then, in 1930, they were moved to Keijō Imperial University (Seoul National University today) for research and, after Liberation, the Gyujanggak Library of Seoul National University took over the books for preservation and management. The vacant Jeongjoksan National Archive disappeared after 1931. There are no records on exactly when it ceased to exist but, since a picture of it was seen in a book called 〈〈Joseon Gojeok Dobo〉〉in 1931, we presume that the archive disappeared after this point. The building we see right now is what was newly restored in the 1970s based on the records and photos that still remain. Consisted of two buildings called “Seonwonbogak” and “Jangsagak”, the Jeongjoksan National Archive is currently used as an auxiliary building of Jeondeungsa Temple. Exhibits are held during festival periods, but usually the place shows itself as an ancient library that once stored the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.