Seongyojang in Gangneung, a Joseon manor the family never moved out of

In Gangneung, a short ride inland from Gyeongpo Lake, a family compound has stood since the early 1700s. The same family still lives there. Seongyojang (선교장) is open to anyone who pays at the gate, and an unhurried hour there tells you more than a quick photograph will.

A house named for a boat bridge

The name means, roughly, the manor of the boat bridge. When the house was built, the lake came much closer than it does now, and visitors reached the gate by crossing a line of moored boats. The water has since pulled back toward the coast. Now you walk in across flat ground, so the long tiled wall comes as a surprise.

선교장은 배를 이어 만든 다리를 건너 들어가던 집이라는 데서 이름을 얻었다.

What to look at

Yeolhwadang (열화당), the men's quarters, has a copper-roofed awning over its veranda. It was added in the early twentieth century and looks faintly European against the old timber. Few hanok anywhere in the country have one. Across the grounds, Hwallaejeong (활래정) is a pavilion built partly over a lotus pond, its floor raised on stone pillars so the water runs underneath. In July and August the lotus covers the pond. By late autumn the stems have dried, and you can see the whole pavilion.

The women's quarters, the kitchen yard and the storehouses are laid out so that each courtyard opens onto the next. Walk through them in order and you will understand how a large Joseon household divided its day.

Staying the night

Some rooms are run as a hanok stay, with heated ondol floors and sliding paper doors. These need to be booked ahead, but day visitors can simply walk in. Come in the first hour after opening, when the courtyards are freshly swept and nearly empty, then take a short taxi ride to Ojukheon.