Abstract
This study seeks what kind of factors influence to locate dwellings and to establish scenic spots in nature by a case study focused on a meandering stream. The study specially concentrates on the interrelationship between both residences and beautiful sceneries and a meander cut-off-area that reveals a special topographical characteristics, located at Samji village in Youngyang-eup, Youngyang-gun, Koungsangbuk-do. The meander cut-off area, developed at the middle or upper reaches of a river, often makes up specific landscapes such as precipitous cliffs, sheer cliffs and caves. And the area where is specially created by sudden change of flow due to erosion perceived by the cut surface to be the most beautiful scenic spot. These beautiful landscapes were used to be called as Dae, Dam or Gul and managed by Confucian scholars who enjoy refined taste and devote themselves to the study in nature. Moreover, the Ku-Hado-literary means the area of ex-flow-made the scholars' lving with a well prepared basis for agriculture where supplied a cornucopia of organic matters and water. The merit of agriculture made it possible that the scholars became economically independent, and the fact might be the essential point why the meander cut-off area took noticed. Actually, Cho-family has been in Smaji Village for generations, producing a large number of scholars and keeping the actual power of the region. The physical shape of the meander cut-off area, cozily surrounded by mountains, is considered as a good place for the dwelling due to the influence of traditional sight of view for location and P'ungsuchiri which is known as Feng Shui in China and geomancy in the western world. It is a fruit in it own way that we could find the ancestors' discernment and wisdom from this study, who have lived their lives adapting themselves to the given natural environment and also utilizing the nature wisely. But this is a current-argued study on the meander cut-off area. Follow-up studies have to be continued about the landscapes of the meander streams and the meander cut-off areas scattered all over the country except Samji Village and draw the characteristics from the comparative analysis.