Paeksang Pavilion in Anju, South Phyongan Province, is a place of natural beauty and historic interest and it has been known as one of the eight scenic spots in the northwestern area of Korea as it commands a stunning view of the surroundings.
The name Paeksang means a hundred beautiful scenes.
The discovery of Koryo celadon at the site of the pavilion is proof positive of the fact that it was built in the period of Koryo (918-1392). Later, it was rebuilt in 1753 in the time of the feudal Joson dynasty and represented the pavilion architecture of the dynasty.
Constructed on a large scale with an orderly stylobate, the pavilion is a two-storey gabled building with double eaves.
The façade facing south is 25.82 metres and the sides facing east and west are 18.9 and 12.24 metres respectively.
The intercolumnar spaces in the middles of the four sides were made wider than others to accentuate them—a traditional style often seen in the pavilions built by Korean ancestors.
The pillars on the floor stand upright on the pillars under the floor and their lower parts are slightly thicker than the upper parts.
The closely-built headspace is in the style of three-wingspace inferior purlin. It is decorated with patterns of sprigs of flowers with lotus flower bud motifs in the upper and lower parts.
There are two kinds of boards put on top of the cornices on pillars and one of them is represented as a lotus root spreading out with a flower blooming.
On the roof the height of ridges and the position of gables are set to go well with the length and width of the building, thereby striking a balance between the building body and the roof.
In particular, as the four sides of the single structure are all gabled, it looks like a group of buildings linked together.
The monolithic ceiling makes the inside of the pavilion look sublime and spacious.
The pavilion decked with morutanchong, or a moderate form of colourful paintings in traditional architecture, blends in well with the surroundings.
The beautiful painting matches nicely with the architectural structure and building parts and elements, adding decorative effect to the pavilion.
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