운조루

Unjoru is a preserved Joseon-era yangban head-family residence in Gurye, Jeollanam-do — a jongtaek, the ancestral seat of the Yu clan with founding tradition that traces back to 1776. The compound is one of Korea's most significant surviving large-scale Joseon-era yangban residential complexes, with the typical yangban arrangement of multiple sarangchae (men's quarters), anchae (women's inner quarters), gobi (servant's quarters), an ancestral shrine, and storage buildings — but at unusually large scale (originally 99 rooms, with about 60 surviving today). The compound is also famous in Korean cultural memory for its tradition of generosity to the surrounding community: the family operated a unique "Tarakgo" rice-distribution system that anonymously fed neighbors during lean times. Best for travelers seriously interested in Joseon-era yangban culture and Korean folk-cultural heritage.