Ae Kwan Theater

Ae Kwan Theater
The building in 2019
Map
Former namesHyŏmnyulsa, Ch'uk'angsa
General information
Address238 Gyeong-dong, Jung District, Incheon, South Korea[1]
Coordinates37°28′20″N 126°37′47″E / 37.47227°N 126.62984°E / 37.47227; 126.62984
Opened1895 (1895)
Known forFirst movie theater in Korea
Website
Official website (in Korean)
Korean name
Hangul
애관극장
Hanja
愛館劇場
Revised RomanizationAegwan geukjang
McCune–ReischauerAegwan kŭkchang

Ae Kwan Theater (Korean애관극장) is a movie theater in Incheon, South Korea. It is believed to be the oldest movie theater in Korea, having been founded in 1895. It is believed to predate what was widely considered to be the first movie theater, Dansungsa, which was founded in 1907.[2]

Ae Kwan is still in operation,[2] although Dansungsa has since ceased.[3] It is now owned by the AE KWAN Theater Co., Ltd.[1]

The theater formerly went by the names Hyŏmnyulsa and Ch'uk'angsa.

History[edit]

According to a book (《개항과 양관 역정》) from Choe Seong-yeon, the theater was first founded in 1895, during the First Sino-Japanese War, as Hyŏmnyulsa (협률사; 協律舍; Hyeomnyulsa, not to be confused with Hyŏmnyulsa, which has a different final Hanja character).[4] In 1912, it changed its name to Ch'uk'angsa (축항사; 築港舍; Chukangsa).[4] In 1921, it again changed its name to Ae Kwan (애관; 愛館; Aegwan), and renovated on October 10, 1927.[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "애관극장" [Ae Kwan Theater]. www.webdmin.com. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
  2. ^ a b 오, 승훈; 김, 경애 (2021-11-02). ""한국 최초의 영화관 '애관극장' 사라지면 안되잖아요"" ["We Can't Let the First Movie Theater in Korea, 'Ae Kwan Theater' Disappear"]. The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-09-10.
  3. ^ 이, 재덕 (2015-02-07). "저당 잡힌 '109살 한국 예술의 요람' 단성사는 웁니다" [Dansungsa, the '109 Year Old Cradle of Korean Cinema', Weeps After Being Mortgaged]. Kyunghyang Shinmun. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
  4. ^ a b 정, 창교 (2017-02-22). "한국 최초의 공연장 인천 협률사를 아시나요". Kukmin Ilbo.
  5. ^ 김, 현석 (2018-01-08). "[시론] 애관극장 한 세기". 인천투데이.

External links[edit]