A Place to Live: A New Translation of Yi Chung-hwan’s T’aengniji, the Korean Classic for Choosing Settlements (Korean Classics Library: Philosophy and Religion)

A Place to Live brings together in a single volume an introduction to Yi Chung-hwan’s (1690–1756) T’aengniji (Treatise on Choosing Settlement)―one of the most widely read and influential of the Korean classics―and an annotated translation of the text, including the author’s postscript. Yi composed the T’aengniji in the 1750s, a time when, despite King Yŏngjo’s (r. 1724–1776) policy of impartiality, the scholar-gentry class continued to identifiy strongly with literati factions and to participate in the political scene as such. A prominent secretary who had his career cut short because of suspected involvement in one of the largest literati purges at court, Yi endured long periods of living in exile before finishing the T’aengniji in his early sixties. The treatise, his only substantial work, is based largely on his travels throughout the Korean peninsula and presents not only his views on the desirability of places for settlement, but also his opinions on contemporary matters and criticism of government policy. As a result, the T’aengniji circulated as an anonymous work for many years. Employing the latest research on T’aengniji manuscripts, translator Inshil Yoon maintains in her introduction that the original title of the treatise was Sadaebu kagŏch’ŏ (Livable Places for the Scholar-Gentry); she goes on to discuss in detail its reception by premodern and contemporary scholars and the treatise’s ongoing popularity as evidenced by the numerous versions and translations done in this and the previous century, its having been made into a novel, and current usage of “ t’aengniji ” as a noun meaning “regional geography” or “travelogue.” The present translation is based on the Chosŏn Kwangmunhoe edition. "A Place to Live brings together in a single volume an introduction to Yi Chung-hwan's (1690-1756) T'aengniji (Treatise on Choosing Settlement)--one of the most widely read and influential of the Korean classics--and an annotated translation of the text, including the author's postscript. Yi composed the T'aengniji in the 1750s, a time when, despite King Yŏngjo's (r. 1724-1776) policy of impartiality, the scholar-gentry class continued to identifiy strongly with literati factions and to participate in the political scene as such. A prominent secretary who had his career cut short because of suspected involvement in one of the largest literati purges at court, Yi endured long periods of living in exile before finishing the T'aengniji in his early sixties. The treatise, his only substantial work, is based largely on his travels throughout the Korean peninsula and presents not only his views on the desirability of places for settlement, but also his opinions on contemporary matters and criticism of government policy. As a result, the T'aengniji circulated as an anonymous work for many years. Employing the latest research on T'aengniji manuscripts, translator Inshil Yoon maintains in her introduction that the original title of the treatise was Sadaebu kagŏch'ŏ (Livable Places for the Scholar-Gentry); she goes on to discuss in detail its reception by premodern and contemporary scholars and the treatise's ongoing popularity as evidenced by the numerous versions and translations done in this and the previous century, its having been made into a novel, and current usage of "t'aengniji" as a noun meaning "regional geography" or "travelogue." The present translation is based on the Chosŏn Kwangmunhoe edition."--Book jacket description Contents 8 List of Maps 10 Acknowledgments 12 Conventions 14 I. Translator’s Introduction 16 II. Translation: The T’aengniji, by Yi Chung-hwan 48 The T’aengniji, by Yi Chung-hwan 50 The Four Classes of People 50 Discourse on the Eight Provinces 52 P’yŏngan Province 54 Hamgyŏng Province 58 Hwanghae Province 62 Kangwŏn Province 67 Kyŏngsang Province 72 Chŏlla Province 80 Ch’ungch’ŏng Province 87 Kyŏnggi Province 101 Discourse on the Selection of Habitable Places 124 Geomancy 125 Economic Potential 127 Social Characteristics 133 Scenery 145 Conclusion 181 Epilogue 185 Notes 188 Bibliography 224 Glossary-Index 240 About the Translator 254 Blank Page 9 Blank Page 1