Hyeonchungsa Shrine

In 1704 Confucian scholars of the Asan area petitioned King Sukjong to let a shrine to Admiral Yi Sun-sin be built. The court accepted, the shrine was built in 1706, and in 1707 Sukjong sent down a plaque reading "Hyeonchungsa (顯忠祠)". The Hyeonchungsa Management Office writes that this shrine stood where the Chungmu Education Institute is now.

But in 1868 the shrine was torn down under Daewongun's decree abolishing seowon (private academies), and in 1906 Confucian scholars angered by the Eulsa Treaty set up a memorial stele for the site. For a time, that stele alone kept watch over the place.

During the Japanese colonial period the land of the admiral's tomb was in danger of going to auction, and concerned people formed the "Yi Chungmugong Relics Preservation Society" and raised donations together with the Dong-A Ilbo. With this national fund, Hyeonchungsa was rebuilt and the portrait enshrined on 5 June 1932.

In the 1960s the sanctification project continued. In 1962 Chungcheongnam-do enlarged the grounds and built an artifact exhibition hall, and on 18 March 1967 Hyeonchungsa was designated a Historic Site. In the same year a new Hyeonchungsa was completed above the old shrine, and the building put up in 1932 was moved beside the west approach path and is called "Old Hyeonchungsa". On 28 April, the admiral's birthday, a government-run memorial rite is still held.

On 28 April 2011 the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin Memorial Hall opened. It is a history-themed hall that collects, displays and teaches with artifacts related to the admiral and historical sources on the naval battles of the Imjin War.

From March to October it is open 09:00 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:00. From November to February it is 09:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:00. The guide says it takes about 1 hour to see, and there is no admission fee.

It is closed every Monday. On days when a closing day and a public holiday overlap, check the notice board first.

You cannot bring food or dogs into the grounds, and picnic mats, shade sails and tents are also banned. You cannot enter riding a bicycle, in-line skates, a skateboard or a scooter, and every space is non-smoking. Restricted areas such as the lawns may not be entered.

By public transport, take city bus No. 970 or 971 and get off at "Hyeonchungsa". From the Seoul side, the Hyeonchungsa Management Office advises going by KTX or SRT to Cheonan-Asan Station, by regular train or subway to Onyang-oncheon Station, or by express bus to Asan Onyang Express Bus Terminal, and then changing to public transport. The travel time and fares from the station or terminal are not on that page.

Admiral Yi Sun-sin's tomb is in Eumbong-myeon, Asan, away from Hyeonchungsa, and is a separate Historic Site, No. 112. If you want to see both on the same day, look up how to get between them separately.