Jeollabuk-do Tangible Cultural Heritage 222: Dismounting Post of Gyeonggijeon Shrine - Jeonju
Posted by: elyob
N 35° 48.846 E 127° 09.000
52S E 332864 N 3964908
Pungnam-dong 3(sam)-ga, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do
Waymark Code: WM172FB
Location: Jeolla buk do, South Korea
Date Posted: 11/25/2022
Views: 0
This monument stands outside the gate to the Gyeonggijeon Shrine. It instructs all individuals to dismount their horses in respect of this sacred shrine. The importance of the shrine is well described; even the king must dismount.
This text is from the sign of history on site.
A dismounting post was placed in front of dignified places and denoted where one should
dismount from their horse before entering. It was commonly found in front of the entrances to
places such as a palace, Confucian academy, or local Confucian school, where entering the space
with propriety was of utmost importance.
The dismounting post of Gyeonggijeon Shrine was first erected in 1614, but was re-erected in
1856. On the front of the post is an inscription that reads, "Here people of all ranks and statuses
should dismount their horses, and irrelevant persons are prohibited to enter."
This kind of post usually consists only of a rectangular base stone and a body stone, but this one
has two stone lions statues, male and female, that support the rectangular base stone. Because
it has a very unusual shape, it appears that this post not only serves as a means to inform people to dismount their horses, but also as a symbolic guardian of Gyeonggijeon Shrine.