“[Financial News] On December 1st, the National Heritage Administration announced plans to designate the ‘Daeungjeon Hall of Cheongwonsa Temple in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province’, a Buddhist architectural structure that reflects architectural styles and changes from the late Goryeo to the Joseon Dynasty, as a national treasure.”
“Cheongwonsa Temple, located on Mt. Cheondeok in Anseong City, is known as a historic temple. The main building, Daeungjeon Hall, has an unclear construction date, but it is believed to have been built before 1854, as indicated by an inscription (상량문) that records the construction details of the Daeungjeon from that year.”
“Scholars estimate the construction period to be the early Joseon Dynasty based on structural details, decorative techniques, and other features designed to support the weight of the eaves.”
“The Daeungjeon Hall is a building with three sections in the front and three on the sides. The front aspect displays a multi-bracket style that includes brackets not only at the top of the columns but also between columns (wooden structures installed above the columns to distribute the roof’s weight).”
“In contrast, the rear features a combination of protruding elements, known as chulmok, and decorative winged elements, or ikgong, which together expose two different bracket styles in a single building.”
“The Daeungjeon Hall of Cheongwonsa Temple holds significant scholarly value. It is considered a heritage that illustrates a transitional phase where the Goryeo Dynasty’s jusimpo-style bracket transitioned into the Joseon Dynasty’s ikgong-style bracket. Jusimpo is a style where brackets are only placed above the building’s columns.”
“A representative from the National Heritage Administration explained, ‘There are few existing buildings constructed before the Imjin War (Japanese invasions of Korea, 1592–1598), and the coexistence of architectural compositions and styles circa 1550 in a single building holds substantial research value.'”
“The National Heritage Administration will review opinions from various sectors during a 30-day notice period and then finalize the treasure designation after deliberation by the Cultural Heritage Committee.”