Hwanghakjeong황학정

About

Hwanghakjeong is an archery pavilion built by order of Emperor Gojong north of Hoesangjeon Hall in Gyeonghuigung Palace for practicing archery. After the Gabo Reform of 1894, the bow was removed from the army's standard weapons, and nearly all archery pavilions across the country disappeared. Regretting this, Gojong issued a royal decree to "promote archery for the physical and mental training of the people," built Hwanghakjeong inside the palace, and opened it to ordinary people. He is said to have visited often to enjoy archery himself. In 1922, when the Japanese colonial government demolished Gyeonghuigung Palace, Hwanghakjeong was moved to its current location in Sajik-dong, the former site of Deunggwajeong. Deunggwajeong was one of five archery pavilions in Utdae, at the foot of Inwangsan Mountain, during the Joseon Dynasty. The building is four bays wide and two bays deep, with a hip-and-gable roof whose sides form the shape of the character 八. A model for archery range buildings, Hwanghakjeong still hosts archery events today and is a historic place that carries on the tradition of Korean traditional archery.