Writer counted among the Three Wonders of Songdo; courtesy name Bogwon, pen name Osan; author of Osan jip and Osan seollim
| Life | 1556 ~ 1615 |
| Era | 조선 중기 |
| Clan | 연안 차씨 |
Cha Cheon-ro (1556-1615) was a mid-Joseon official and writer of the Yeonan Cha clan, with courtesy name Bogwon and pen name Osan. He was the son of Cha Sik, magistrate of Pyeonghae, and the elder brother of Cha Un-ro. He studied under Seo Gyeong-deok (Hwadam), passed the Aljeong civil examination in 1577 and served as instructor at Gaeseong, and passed the re-examination (jungsi) in 1583, so that he is said to have passed twice.
Renowned for prose, he was counted with Han Ho and Choe Rip as one of the 'Three Wonders of Songdo' and, with his brother Cha Un-ro and the licentiate Ma Sang-won, called 'Two Chas and One Ma' (Yangcha Ilma). In 1589 he went to Japan with the envoy Hwang Yun-gil and is said to have composed four to five thousand poems there, astonishing the Japanese. He drafted most of the diplomatic documents sent to the Ming and earned the title 'Scholar of the East', and impressed Ming envoys by answering extempore tests of verse without hesitation.
In 1586, as a jeongja, he wrote an examination memorial for a fellow townsman, Yeo Gye-seon, who then placed first; the deed was discovered and he was exiled to Myeongcheon, but he was pardoned in 1588 for his literary talent and returned to Seungmunwon. For escorting Gwanghaegun's divided court during the Imjin War he was named a third-class Wiseong original merit subject in 1614. His works include Osan jip and Osan seollim, and his tomb is said to be in Munwon-dong, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi.
The Three Wonders of Songdo is said to combine Han Ho's calligraphy, Choe Rip's prose and Cha Cheon-ro's poetry, while 'Two Chas and One Ma' groups the brothers Cha Cheon-ro and Cha Un-ro with Ma Sang-won. Both nicknames show his literary fame.
The 1586 episode shows both his talent and its limits. He wrote the examination text for a fellow townsman who then placed first, was exiled to Myeongcheon when it came to light, and returned to Seungmunwon after a pardon. It was cheating by today's view, and the record shows it was punishable in his own time too.
His great-grandson Cha Geon-ui retired to Jeokseo-ri in Daehoji-myeon, Dangjin, around 1790, and the descendants built Munwonsa to house his portrait. Descendants of his younger brother Cha Un-ro are said to have formed the Changju-gong branch. See the Osan-gong card for details. In 1792 King Jeongjo ordered the publication of his writings.
His tomb is said to be in Munwon-dong, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi; descendants in Daehoji, Dangjin, built the Munwonsa shrine to house his portrait.