Dodong Seowon

Dodong Seowon was built to honor Kim Goeng-pil (pen name Hanhwondang), a mid-Joseon scholar. Its name, "Dodong," carries the meaning that "the way of Neo-Confucianism came east" — to Joseon.

It was one of just 47 seowon academies spared when Regent Heungseon Daewongun ordered a mass demolition of academies across the country in 1865 — a testament to the historical and scholarly value already recognized in its own time, earning it a place among Korea's five great seowon. That value has since been recognized internationally too: in 2019, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as part of "Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies."

Notably, it's the first seowon in the country whose surrounding wall was designated a national Treasure. The sight of its 400-year-old ginkgo tree alongside the Nakdong River flowing past the academy creates a scene reminiscent of a classical East Asian painting.

It's not an elaborately decorated site, but walking through this quiet academy, where the spirit of old scholars still lingers, makes it easy to understand why UNESCO recognized it as a World Heritage Site.