Jeolla History
Yun Seon-Do Memorial Hall and Nogudang
Haenam Gosan Yun Seon-do Memorial Hall was built to commemorate an honorable family line, the Haenam Yun. The first part to explore is the antique exhibitions produced by Yun family members, commonly great scholars and artists. The other is the family house “Nogudang” (House of Green Rain) that stands behind the exhibition building. The house was a present given by King Hyojong to his teacher and advisor Yun Seon-do. Some say Nogudang is purely a depiction of fluttering nutmeg trees in the wind. Others say it is a metaphor for unchanging integrity and discipline of Confucian scholars. Whatever the truth is, the name of the house seems to express the bright, rightful minds of the Yun ancestors.
The Great Scholar
The Yun family has produced great scholars and artists, Yun Seon-do and Yun Du-seo. Yun Seon-do earned the honor of teaching King Hyojong as his pupil, but he spent most of his life in exile due to his involvement with factional strife. However, his love for knowledge and talent was praised because he excelled in poetry, music, astronomy and topography. The Memorial Hall in Haenam exihibits his poems, self-made instruments and stories of his excellent topography skills. Koreans believe that the right topography brings good luck.
Yun’s Owuga compares five natural objects—water, rock, pine, bamboo and the moon—to the qualifications of a Confucian scholar. Water is clean and flowing, so a scholar must have integrity. The rock does not change, and neither does a true scholar. The pine tree has straight roots and its leaves survive through the winter, so a scholar should likewise maintain his constancy. Bamboo is straight, empty and evergreen, saying a scholar must stay humble and possess self-control. Finally, the moon is bright and wordless, meaning a scholar should be silent without slandering others.
The Great Artist
Although Yun passed the state examination to become a government officer, his career was limited due to the domination of opposing political party Seo-yin.
Yun Du-seo’s portrait with a solemn face is a curious subject among art experts. Characterized by glowing eyes, deep dark circles, and grimly shut thick lips, the man seems to express his anger to the audience, as there is only a face in the painting. The portrait lacks both body and ears, which makes the long, fearful, tiger-like beard eerie. Experts say the painting expresses the feelings of anger and exhaustion Yun Du-seo faced in his last years when most of his friends were either eliminated or sent into exile by factional strife.