Byeongsan Seowon looks across the Nakdong river at a cliff that is, quite literally, the best view in the neighbourhood. The academy stands in a bend of the river a short ride from the famous village of Hahoe, and its old lecture hall, called Manhyudae, was built with one aim: to frame the opposite cliff like a painting. Students sat on the open wooden floor and read the classics while the river slid past below. That is the Korean idea of education, a mind sharpened by the best possible landscape.
It belongs to the Ryu family of Andong, the same clan that built Hahoe. The most famous scholar here is Ryu Seong-ryong, who served as prime minister during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s and wrote the Jingbirok, a memoir of the war that is still read as a classic. The academy grew from a smaller school into a larger one in the sixteenth century and was one of the few to survive the nineteenth-century purge of academies, a political crackdown that closed hundreds. Together with eight others, it was listed as a World Heritage site in 2019.
The buildings are low, tiled and quiet, set on a slope with a gate at the bottom and rising courtyards behind. A massive zelkova tree grows near the lecture hall, and old pines line the paths. The whole thing takes about an hour to enjoy, and you will probably share it with only a handful of other people.
Getting here is easy from Andong, a city of about a hundred and thirty thousand with all the fuel, food and repair you might need. The roads east and south of the city follow the river through farm country, with some gentle bends and good views. The best riding is on the quieter local roads, not the main highway. Speed cameras are common in Korea, so keep an eye on limits.
Visit in early autumn, when the cliff turns russet and the rice is ripe, or in spring when the river is high and clear. A good lunch is heotjesabap, a ceremonial rice dish traditional in the region, and the local soju will keep you warm. Be prepared to walk, as the car park is some way from the gate.