Before the site of Dosan Seodang is selected, Toegye himself selected
his living places several times, and lived there. This means that he had a
intention to select more proper site to live in.
The course of constructing Dosan Seodang is shown well in
Dosanseodangyeonggeongisa by Geum Nan-Su, Dosanjabyeong byeonggi
by Toegye, Toegyeganyeonpyo by Kwon O-Bong. The site of Dosan
Seodang was selected by Toegye himself, after he himself went to the site
several times at the request of his disciples including Geum Eung-Hun. He
was much contented with getting the site. And through the several
channels including the design drawing like Oksadoja, he was involved
actively in the structure and arrangement of the building. He was much
concerned in the constructing process.
The location of Dosan Seodang described in Dosanjabyeong byeonggi is
compared with the requirements for selecting site of Lee Jung-Hwan. It is
found out that the location of Dosan Seodang corresponds much with the
requirements for selecting site.
The arrangement of Dosan Seowon including Dosan Seodang is
examined with the arrangement of Sosu Seowon. Dosan Seodang is
located, and then Dosan Seowon is constructed after Toegye's death.
Dosan Seowon is a Yangtaek(陽宅) building with priority given to a
lecture hall honoring the Toegye's will to assert studies on books. On the
other hand, Sosu Seowon is an Eumtaek(陰宅) building with a priority
given to Samyo(祠廟) in which the studying function is added after
Munsungongmyo(文成公廟) is built to have a memorial service for An
Hyang. The two Seowons have a contrary characteristic in their
arrangements. In other words, Dosan Seowon sets the Dosan Seodang, a
symbolic place of Toegye as a standard place, and then each buildings are
arranged in the principle of left-high ? right-low and heigh place-high
? low place-low. On the contrary, Sosu Sewon focused on the memorial
service, and then every buildings in Sosu Sewon show an arrangement of
right-high ? left-low and front-high ? rear-low of the Munsungongmyo
placed in the center. It is found out that Seowon can be classified into an
Eumtaek one with a priority given to Sadang(祠堂) which stresses the
function of memorial service and a Yangtaek one with a priority given to
a lecture hall which stresses the function of studying the books, and also
the difference of their function has an evident characteristic.
The whole arrangement of Dosan Seowon including Dosan Seodang
shows a Jangpunguk(藏風局) arrangement in which other buildings enfold
Dosan Seodang which is Yangtaek and the nucleus owing to the
symbolicity of Toegye. And the arrangement of Sosu Seowon shows the
enfolding of other buildings for the Munsunggong's tomb, placed in the
center, by making them have a role of Jangpung and Jwacheongnyong(左
靑龍).