Yangjindang House, Head House of the Ryu family

This is Yangjindang House, the head house of the Ryu family.

According to Korean traditions, the eldest son of a family has the duty of leading the family and carries out ceremonial rites for their deceased ancestors to show their respect. So, this house has been an important place for preserving the traditions and heritage of the Ryu family.

Also, there is an important aspect you should not miss. Ryu Seong-ryong, one of the greatest historic figures to be born in Hahoe Village, was born in this house.

What remains today is only a portion of the entire house as it was burnt down during the Japanese invasion in the 16th century. Legend has it that when the house was being built, something special happened.

The new owner of the site was determined to build a new house that would serve as a foundation for his family. But whenever he tried to erect a pillar, it kept tumbling to the ground. He prayed to his ancestors for help. He was told he must save the lives of ten thousand people in the course of three years in order to build a proper house.

So the man began to perform good deeds. He would go to the village square to help those in need, and never refused a request whether big or small. Before he knew it three years had passed.

The mountain deity was touched by his deeds and allowed him to build a home. When he tried erecting a pillar, it stayed up sturdy and strong. He was finally able to finish building his house, whereupon he named it Yangjindang House.

Construction Characteristics of Yangjindang House

The structure is perched atop a set of elevated pillars. This was to keep the wooden-floored hall cool during the hot summer months by promoting airflow. The pillars are fixed on a foundation that is carefully placed upon an unworked boulder.

As anyone would expect from a head house of a family, the wooden-floored living room of the outer quarters is very spacious. The Ryu family would gather in these quarters to discuss family matters and arrange ancestral ceremonies, which often required summoning four or five hundred guests to each event. An ancestral ceremony was and still is considered the most important family event, because it is the key event to show a virtue of respect for one's parents and ancestors.

Traditionally, it has been an honor for any Korean to honor a great ancestor. It must have been a great honor for the Ryu family to honor such a great ancestor like Ryu Seong-ryong. Ancestral ceremonies were practicing filial piety, according to Confucius teachings, and it took on a religious meaning beyond simply commemorating the deceased. That is why there were rules and procedures for every single detail regarding the ceremony down to how to layout the table to how to bow.

Now let's take a look at the inner quarters, in which the female members of the family resided. The windows would open up from the bottom. Back in Joseon, there were strict rules about how men and women should act around each other. The structure of the window was designed to help the women close them shut whenever they heard a stranger approaching.