Gyeongju Oksan Seowon Mubyeonru Designated as Treasure

Gyeongju Oksan Seowon Mubyunru

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] The Cultural Heritage Administration announces the preliminary designation of ‘Gyeongju Oksan Seowon Mubeonru (慶州 玉山書院 無邊樓)’ as a Nationally Designated Cultural Property Treasure.

Gyeongju Oksan Seowon Mubeonru is a two-story gatehouse. It is located within the historic site ‘Oksan Seowon (玉山書院),’ which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019 as part of the ‘Korean Seowon.’

Mubeonru was built together when Oksan Seowon was founded in 1572, facing west to provide a good view of the surrounding excellent natural scenery. Its size is seven kan (bays) wide at the front and two kan deep on the side, with a gable roof and additional shed roofs on the left and right sides. The lower floor serves as an entrance, while the upper floor consists of an ondol room and a numaru (a raised wooden floor like an attic). The upper floor has a very unique layout, with a central daecheongmaru (main hall floor), ondol rooms on both sides, and numaru on the far left and right sides. Additionally, the roof retains inscribed tiles bearing Chinese era names such as Sungjeong (崇禎), Geonryung (乾隆), and Dogwang (道光), which provide precise information about its repair history.

According to related records, the name Mubeonru was given by Prime Minister No Susin (盧守愼), and the signboard was written by Seokbong Han Ho (韓濩). The term ‘Mubeon’ originates from the Northern Song Confucian scholar Zhu Dunyi’s (周敦?) phrase ‘Pungwol Mubeon (風月無邊),’ meaning ‘a place where the valley and mountains outside the seowon come into full view, eliminating boundaries.’ This signifies that Mubeonru perfectly captures the surrounding natural scenery.

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to collect public opinions during a 30-day preliminary announcement period for the ‘Gyeongju Oksan Seowon Mubeonru’ before proceeding with the Cultural Heritage Committee’s review process to officially designate it as a Nationally Designated Cultural Property Treasure.