소설이 현실이 된 공간…하동 평사리 최참판댁, 문학과 역사가 살아 숨 쉬다

A Space Where a Novel Becomes Reality… Choi Champan’s House in Pyeongsa-ri, Hadong: Where Literature and History Come Alive Choi Champan’s House, Recreated at the Foot of Mt. Jirisan, the Setting of Park Kyung-ri’s Epic Novel Toji Korea’s Representative Literary Tourist Destination That Realizes an Imaginary Space Established as a Cultural Asset of Hadong, Attracting 500,000 Visitors Annually [etv Sejong = Sejong/Reporter Lee Mun-gu] Located in Pyeongsa-ri, Akyang-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Choi Champan’s House is a space that brings the setting of Park Kyung-ri’s epic novel Toji to life. It has established itself as Korea’s representative literary tourist destination where literature, history, and traditional culture coexist amidst a landscape where Mt. Jirisan and the Seomjin River harmonize. Pyeongsa-ri in Akyang-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, holds special significance in the history of Korean literature. This is precisely because it is the main setting of Park Kyung-ri’s epic novel Toji*. Starting with the Chuseok holiday of 1897, the novel captures the turbulent times of the Korean people spanning the late Joseon Dynasty, the Japanese colonial period, and liberation. Centered on the family of Choi Cham-pan, *Toji (The Land) portrays the lives of tenant farmers, farmhands, and ordinary commoners. Completed after 26 years of writing, it is regarded as a representative epic novel of Korean literature. Choi Cham-pan's House, which has become a representative landmark of Pyeongsa-ri today, was not originally a historical site. Following the reconstruction project initiated in 1998 and its completion in 2001, the setting of the novel was reborn as a real-life tourist attraction and educational space. Currently, the complex features 14 traditional Korean houses, including the main house, guest house, and servant quarters, recreating the lifestyle of a late Joseon noble family and the rural society of the time. With thatched-roof houses, stone walls, and traditional living spaces established alongside the house, visitors can experience the feeling of stepping right into the novel. The scenery of the Hanok Village and the Pyeongsa-ri fields, spread out at the foot of Mt. Jirisan, offers different charms with each season, attracting a steady stream of photographers and tourists. The nearby Park Kyung-ni Literature Museum is also an important destination for a literary tour of Pyeongsa-ri. At the museum, visitors can explore the life and literary world of Park Kyung-ni, as well as the writing process of Toji (The Land), while various literary programs and exhibitions are also held. More than 500,000 people visit the Choi Champan House and the museum every year, and the Toji Literature Festival, held every autumn, has established itself as a representative literary festival bringing together writers and readers from across the country. The Choi Champan House in Pyeongsa-ri is regarded as a prime example of literature being reborn as a regional cultural asset, going beyond a mere tourist attraction. It receives consistent love across generations for allowing visitors to experience in reality the space where the characters of the novel once lived and breathed, and it continues to maintain its value as a representative landmark of Hadong where literature, history, and nature harmonize. More detailed information can be found in the video. #Toji #GyeongnamHadong #AuthorParkKyungri #HadongPyeongsaRi #ChoiChampanHouse #Jirisan #SeomjinRiver #ParkKyungriLiteratureMuseum #etvSejong #Literature #History #TraditionalCulture #HanokVillage