Yeongnamnu Pavilion

Yeongnamnu stands on a low cliff above the Miryang River in the middle of town, an unusually wide open-floored pavilion - the main hall with subsidiary wings joined by short covered corridors, which is what distinguishes it from most Joseon pavilions and gives it its scale. What stands was rebuilt in 1844 after fire, on a site used since the Goryeo period; it was raised to National Treasure rank in 2023. The ceiling and beams carry a dense collection of framed inscriptions, and the calligraphy on two of the boards is by children, which visitors are usually surprised to learn. Under Joseon it was counted with Chokseongnu at Jinju and the Pubyok pavilion at Pyongyang among the three great pavilions of Korea. Alongside is Aranggak, a shrine to Arang, the figure of a local legend about a wronged young woman, and steps run down to the riverbank. It is free, central, open in the evening when it is lit, and it takes an hour. Miryang is otherwise a quiet provincial town.

Highlights

• The wide pavilion - main hall with linked wings, open floor.
• The inscribed boards - poems and calligraphy on the beams.
• Aranggak shrine - the legend's memorial beside it.
• The riverbank - steps down to the water below.

When to go

April to June and September to November; evenings are lit and pleasant. Cherry along the river makes early April the local peak.

Before you go

It is one building and an hour at most, with the inscriptions in classical Chinese and little English. Shoes come off to step onto the floor. The town around it offers little else.

Nearby

Pyochungsa temple and the Eoreumgol ice valley are in the county.

Key facts