| Ganghwa Anglican Church | |
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| 37°44′55″N 126°29′10″E / 37.7485°N 126.4862°E | |
| Address | 10, Gwancheong-gil 27beon-gil, Ganghwa County, Incheon, South Korea |
| Country | South Korea |
Ganghwa Anglican Cathedral ( Korean: 대한성공회 강화성당) is a historic cathedral of the Anglican Church's Diocese of Seoul, located in Ganghwa-eup, Ganghwa County, Incheon, South Korea. [1] It opened in November, 1900. [2]
It was the first church to be established in Ganghwa, as well as the first Anglican church in the peninsula. The cathedral is notable for its use of Korean hanok architecture. [1]
History
The church has its origins around 1889, when the Anglican Church of Korea ordained its first bishop Charles John Corfe. [1] At the time, Christianity was virtually unknown in the peninsula. This church was the first to be established in Ganghwa, as well as the first Anglican church in the peninsula. [1]
Wood was transported via the Yalu River for its construction. A palace carpenter who worked on the construction of the royal palace in Seoul Gyeongbokgung managed the construction of the building. [1]
The composition of the church combines elements of both Eastern and Western architecture, with its layout particularly resembling Buddhist temples. [1] Similar to Buddhist temples, it has a number of gates that are entered in sequence. The main cathedral building is a wooden building built in a nearly completely Korean style, with little Western ornamentation. It still provides facilities to function as a church building, however. [1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "대한성공회 강화성당(大韓聖公會 江華聖堂)". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ "불교 銅鐘 껴안은 현존 最古 한옥 교회, 강화성당의 비밀". 신동아 (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-01-24.