GANGHANSA

This group of traditional buildings is an altar to the memory of Song Si-yeol (1607-1689), a scholar and statesman of Joseon. He was the tutor of King Hyojong and directed the neo-confucianist school Giho and adhered to the old doctrine (Noron). A little anecdote about Song Si-yeol: oral traditions say that in his early years, he is said to have possessed "magical powers" such as being able to read at night without a lamp or to see ghosts. We'll let you be the judge of that information. His notoriety increased as he grew older. This ritual specialist was a particularly virtuous conservative, which cost him his life. He reproached King Sukjong, who had raised one of his adulterous sons to the rank of prince, and was exiled to Jejudo. Called back to Seoul for trial, he was ordered to poison himself on the way (one bowl of poison was not enough to kill him, he had to ingest three). He was later rehabilitated and King Jeongjo raised the altar to him in 1785 (he himself wrote the plaque that adorns the main building). In addition to the altar itself (sadang), there is a pavilion facing the river, not far from the Daerosa memorial stele, which dates from 1787.

At the exit of the city before the bridge, Yeongweollu overlooks the river. This pavilion is in fact the former door of the district town hall, which was moved here when the new building was constructed in 1921. A good place to take pictures of the temple on the other side.