-
-
The Central Temple of Cheondogyo
The central church of Cheondogyo in Gyeongun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Basic Information
- address
- Phone number
Summary
- The central church of Cheondogyo in Gyeongun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
-
Seoul Tangible Cultural Property No. 36. The church is a house where religious ceremonies and general events of Cheondogyo are held. There are many Cheondogyo churches, but there is no specific architectural style. And it is never regarded as sacred like the sanctuary, cathedral, or chapel of other religions.
It becomes a sacred space when various religious ceremonies are held, but it returns to secularity when general events are held. Therefore, various political rallies, art performances, lectures, and even banquets can be held here.
On April 5, 1918, the Cheondogyo Central Grand Church decided to build a new church at the General Assembly of Cheondogyo Departments, and the opening ceremony was held on December 1 of the same year. It was completed in February and moved in on February 28th to reach today. The scale is 1,824 pyeong of land and 212 pyeong of floor space, and the foundation is made of granite stone, the walls are made of red bricks, and the roof is made of steel angles, with no pillars in the middle.
In addition, the office on the second floor was raised high in the baroque style of a tower on top of it. Capacity ranges from 800 to 1,000 people. Son Byeong-hee (孫秉熙), the 3rd head of Cheondogyo, first planned a large church with a floor area of 400 pyeong and applied for a building permit from the authorities.
In July 1918, the Japanese Government-General of Korea rejected the church on the pretext that it was too grandiose and that it was dangerous because there was no pillar in the center. So, it was cut in half, and with permission, construction began in the spring of 1919.
For the total construction cost, about 300,000 won was collected and appropriated by collecting donations with the goal of 10 won per church member. During the construction period, there were difficulties due to the arrest of the constructor, Jang Si-young, and the purchase of materials. There was no difficulty in collecting stones from Seoksan in Changsin-dong, but there were difficulties in purchasing red bricks, and the ceiling angle steel was imported from the United States. The total construction cost was 220,000 won (270,000 won including the office), and the rest was used as a fund for the March 1st Movement.
(Source: Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture) -
Notice
