This is the Sangju Museum in Sangju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
This is the Sangju Museum in Sangju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Sangju is located in the northwestern part of Gyeongsangbuk-do, bordering Mungyeong and Yecheon to the north, Goesan in Chungcheongbuk-do across the Sobaeksan Mountains to the northwest, Gimcheon to the south, and Yecheon to the east.
To the northwest, Baekdudaegan Mountain Range surrounds like a folding screen, and the water stream that starts from Sokri Mountain is divided into three rivers: Geumgang River, Namhangang River, and Nakdonggang River.
To the west, there are continuous high mountains, and to the east, basins and lowlands formed by the Nakdonggang River have developed, forming a Seogodongjeo type. Sangju is a land and water transportation node with a plain created by the Nakdonggang River to the east and major transportation routes leading to the ridges of the Sobaeksan Mountains to the north and west.
The wide alluvial plains formed when tributaries of the Nakdonggang River come together to form a large river have been the foundation for the development of agriculture since early on. Also, northern civilizations that entered through the major transportation routes of the Sobaek Mountains, Jolling and Gyeripryeong, spread through Sangju and through the water system to the entire Yeongnam region. Based on the natural environment that was blessed by nature, the culture that actively sprouted since the prehistoric era flourished over time and blossomed during the Joseon Dynasty.
Blooming Buddhist Culture
Sangju's Buddhist culture developed early on. There are 14 traditional temples, including Namjangsa, founded by Jingam Guksa in 830 (the 5th year of King Heungdeok's reign), Bukjangsa, Gapjangsa, and Seungjangsa (only the temple remains today), which are the 'Sangju Four Temples'. As it is the birthplace of Beompae, the first Buddhist music in Korea, relics that boast the excellence of Buddhist culture are passed down throughout the region. The three-story stone pagoda is representative of the gilt-bronze seated bodhisattva statue excavated from Gongseong-myeon, Sangju from the 8th to 9th centuries, and the stone Buddha statue in Jeungchon-ri, which were built after the Unified Silla period.
The heyday of local government during the Joseon Dynasty
In 1413 (the 13th year of King Taejong’s reign), the local administrative system was established by dividing the country into eight provinces (Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Jeolla, Gyeongsang, Gangwon, Hwanghae, Hamgyeong, and Pyeongan), and the local government organization, the Gunhyeon system, was reorganized. The Sokhyeon and Hyangso Bugok were governed by magistrates appointed by the king. Sangju Mok was the headquarters of the Gyeongsang governor and the center of Yeongnam, serving as a base for governing some of the Gunhyeon in Gyeongsangnam-do, three Bugok, and Sokhyeon.
The Hyangcheong, consisting of magistrates, hyangni who assisted him, and local aristocrats, played a major role in governing the Gunhyeon. Sangju was an important strategic point on the Yeongnam highway, and road transportation developed. Stations such as Yugok Station and Nakdong Station were highlighted during the Joseon Dynasty when they connected the Nakdong River and Gangchang. The Gyeongsang-do Doseonsaeng-an and Sangju-mok Mokseonsaeng-an aimed to improve the efficiency of local governance, and through “Yeonjo Gwigam,” which contains the lives of Sangju Hyangni, we can get a glimpse of the local governance of the time.
When the Imjin War broke out, Sangju’s volunteer army, consisting of Changui-gun, Chungbo-gun, and Sangui-gun, rose up and began to fight against the Japanese army. They attacked the Japanese army stationed everywhere and threw them into confusion. The volunteer army was formed around local noblemen and Confucian scholars. They made their own slaves and tenant farmers take up arms, and organized the volunteer army by persuading scattered farmers and soldiers who had deserted from the ranks.
Eumseong is a castle built to protect the town. Rather than a simple structure, it is a space where the lives and joys and sorrows of our ancestors who settled there for a long time are embedded. It served as a focal point for the region, with government offices, schools, private houses, markets, and other places of life inside. It is said that the castle was first built in the Hongmu Eulchuk (Gyeongsang-do Geography) with a circumference of 1.109 in Sabal. It is estimated that the construction of the town wall began in 1381 due to the invasion of Japanese pirates in 1380 and was completed in 1385.
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