“At the western base of Mount Inwang in old Hanseong lay Cheongpunggye—the 'Valley of Clear Breezes.' For over two centuries, this breathtaking landscape of granite peaks, pine forests, and stone pavilions served as the creative incubator and political sanctuary of the Jangdong Kim lineage.”
1. The Origin of Cheongpunggye Estate
In the early seventeenth century, Kim Sang-yong (金尙容) constructed his ancestral villa in the picturesque ravine of Cheongpunggye (modern Cheongun-dong and Hyoja-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul). The estate became the familial anchor where Kim Sang-heon, Kim Su-hang, Kim Jo-sun, and generations of scholars composed verse, debated philosophy, and governed the nation.
2. Immortalized by Master Jeong Seon (Gyeomjae)
Master landscape painter Jeong Seon (鄭敾, 1676–1759), who grew up as a neighbor and protégé of the Jangdong Kim family, immortalized Cheongpunggye in his celebrated masterpiece Cheongpunggye-do (淸風溪圖), capturing its towering pine trees, cascading streams, and tranquil scholar pavilions.