Chungryeolmun
Chungryeolmun is a hanging wooden plaque of the entrance gate in Myeonggoseowon Confucian Academy built by local Confucian scholars to commemorate the patriotism of the Governor of Gimjae Jeong Dam (1548-1592, posthumous name Jangryeolgong) and Oh Geuk-seong (1559-1616, pen name Munwoldang) in Dogok-ri, Ilwon-myeon, Yeongyang-gun, North Gyeongsang Province. The plaque was donated by the Lord Champan Head House (Goeeumdang) of Yaseong Jeong Clan, and it measures 103.7 cm in width and 42.3 cm in height. Chungryeol (忠烈) has the implied meaning of emulating the loyalty and zeal of Jeong Dam and Oh Geuk-seong.
The calligraphy is written in the regular script style of an unknown author. The ink soaked brush is pressed down and it starts off with a warm feeling. The cheerful lines give an impression of “floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee” by adding light footwork. The rich brush is proud of its generosity, but it does not lose its upright energy. The character jung (中) is condensed in the middle and it is enveloped by sim (心) at the bottom to form chung (忠) which creates the appearance of loyalty towards a single thing. The four points of hwa (灬), which are placed underneath the upright character yeol (列) in an orderly manner to support it, look sorrowful. The character mun (門) with strong walls appears to stand proudly, yet it possesses a warm tolerance and creates an inviting atmosphere.