Hongye

The word, Hongye is better known as the word ‘arch’ which refers the same thing. Hongye in Korean actually means a rainbow, but when you look at the shape of arch it is easy to figure out that it resembles a lot with a rainbow which is why people started to call it ‘Hongye’.
 
Arch, a curved structure of a part of a building has a round shape. This structure is seen quite often especially in bridges. You would have seen a lot of those beautiful arch bridges that looks like a giant window in the outside harmonized with the scenery that slightly appears behind it. Most people are likely to believe that this kind of structure only appears on western buildings–seems quite unquestionable because the majority of people are more exposed to western culture. Yet, also in East Asian culture, arches come out very often. What I’m going to introduce you today is the secret evaded inside Korean arch, Hongye.
 
To make the shape of Hongye, the most important step to begin with is to choose the right stone that can be used without being broken and lasting for a long period of time. The structure can be very stable and unbreakable but during the process of making it, even a small mistake can lead to incompleteness. Therefore, to pick appropriate materials, it is very crucial to find stones that are wide in one side. This is because, granite, the most frequently-used material in Korean building, must have different use according to its shape. For example, granites of which widths are longer than the other side sustain much better when they are piled. When they are piled, the total weight can be divided more efficiently that allows each stone endures less weight so that eventually enables the building more secure.
 
Another significant factor to point out is that Hongye, when it is built, people do not use any substances of glue stuffs meaning that all the Hongye structures that lasts until contemporary period, are made solely with stones. Even the highest point does not need sticky materials because, as I mentioned earlier, since the granites are stacked, each ones endures some weight therefore the highest point does not have to support too much weight compared to the others.

Koreans during the ancient and pre-modern eras used had built Hongye a lot because what they concerned most about when they built something was harmony with the nature surrounding the constructions. This also gives the reason why people made the lines of Hanok’s(Korean traditional house) roof coinciding the ridge of mountains behind. Same with Hongye, people believed that because the structure does not hide over the sceneries behind, it is more environmentally friendly. One of the most popular bridges that were built in Hongye, arch style is Baeggungyo in Bulguksa. Here are the pictures beneath.

By Yerin Jin,
Staff writer