광주 환벽당(環碧堂)은 사촌(沙村) 김윤제(金允悌, 1501∼1572)가 부친 김후(金珝)의 정자를 중수하여 건립한 정자이다.
정자 주변에는 무등산 원효계곡의 계류가 흐르고, 계곡 아래 증암천(甑巖川)은 배롱나무가 아름다운 장관을 이루어 자미탄(紫薇灘)이라 불렸다.
증암천 주변에는 송강 정철과 사촌 김윤제가 처음 만난 곳이라 전해지는 조대(釣臺)와 용소(龍沼), 쌍송(雙松)이 위치하고 있다.
면앙정(俛仰亭) 송순(宋純)은 서하당(棲霞堂) 김성원(金成遠)이 식영정(息影亭)을 건립하고 3년이 지난 명종 18년(1563) 식영정 시에 차운(次韻)하며 ‘식영정과 환벽당’은 형제의 정자라 하였고, 소쇄원과 식영정, 환벽당을 가리켜 한 계곡에 세 곳의 명승(一洞之三勝)으로 꼽았다.
환벽당은 푸름이 둥근 고리처럼 정자를 둘러싼 아름다운 경관을 이루었고, 당대 명사들이 드나들며 자연경관을 찬미하며 풍류를 즐긴 시문과 가사 작품이 전하고 있어 사림 문화의 중심으로 역사문화적 가치가 뛰어난 정자이다.
Built by Kim Yun-je (pen-name: Sachon, 1501-1572), a Neo-Confucian scholar of the early Joseon Period, with the aim of spending his final years in a peaceful natural environment educating local youths, Hwanbyeokdang Pavilion houses a study room on one side of the building, displaying a unique architectural element established through the pavilions built in the southwestern part of Korea. The pavilion is located near Wonhyogyegok Valley of Mudeungsan Mountain; down in the valley is a beautiful crape myrtle grove called Jamitan (Crape Myrtle Rapids) on one side of Jeungamcheon River. The area around the pavilion, including Wonhyogyegok Valley, creates fascinating landscapes whose beauty has been widely praised among the men of letters visiting it. About 200 meters north of Hwanbyeokdang is a village called Chunghyo Village where Kim Yun-je spent his last years; beyond Jeungamcheon Stream is Jisil Village, which once housed the home of Jeong Cheol (pen-name: Songgang, 1536-1593), an eminent Neo-Confucian scholar-statesman of the mid-Joseon Period. Other attractions contributing to the historical significance of the pavilion include a fishing place where the two historic figures, Sachon and Songgang, first met, a waterfall with a pool under it, and a pair of pine trees. According to Song Sun (pen-name: Myeonangjeong, 1493-1583), who wrote in 1563 -- three years after the completion of Sigyeongjeong Pavilion by Kim Seong-won (pen-name: Seohadang, 1525-1597) -- a poem with rhymes taken from a poem hung in the pavilion, Hwanbyeokdang and Sigyeongjeong were like brothers. Together with Soswaewon Garden, the two formed “the three great attractions in one valley (i.e., Jeungamcheon Stream).” As the name Hwanbyeok (literally “loop of the blue”) suggests, the pavilion is surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful scenes of nature and connected with a wealth of literary heritage created during the Joseon Period. It is also a fine example of the local tradition of the Honam region wherein pavilions are located in the midst of nature rather than in a residential area. Specifically, Hwanbyeokdang Pavilion is located 200 meters south from Chunghyo Village where Kim Yun-je was born, on a ridge running northward from the summit of Mudeungsan Mountain and linking Bukbong Peak and Kkomakjae Pass. Mountains including Mudeungsan in the south and Seongsan in the north -- with Jeungamcheon River flowing between Gwangju and Damyang – constitute the fascinating natural spectacle around the site. Around Hwanbyeokdang Pavilion are historic villages connected with renowned men of letters such as Chunghyo, Jisil, and Changam Villages, which once housed the homes of Kim Yun-je, Jeong Cheol, and Yang San-bo (pen-name: Soswaegong, 1503-1557), respectively, and historic pavilions such as Sigyeongjeong, Myeonangjeong, Songgangjeong, Doksujeong, Soswaewon, and Hwanbyeokdang. The village and pavilions show that the area around Hwanbyeokdang had been a center of the tradition of private wooded gardens established during the Joseon Period. Hwanbyeokdang Pavilion is connected with a group of renowned literati elites of the Joseon Period, such as Song Sun, Im Eok-ryeong, Yang San-bo, Kim In-hu, Kim Seong-won, Kim Dae-seung, and Go Gyeong-myeong who regularly visited it to pay homage to the natural scenic beauty surrounding it through their poetic works. The beauty of the pavilion in the early stage was depicted by So Se-yang (1486-1562) in his poem “Hwanbyeokdang”; the plants growing in the garden around the pavilion in the early 18th century were mentioned by Kim Chang-heup (pen-name: Samyeon, 1653-1722) in his book Namyu ilgi (Diary of a Journey to the South). A scene of its natural surroundings is also captured by the drawing Seongsan gyeryu tagyeoldo (Coping with Summer Heat at the Valley of Seongsan Mountain) contained in Seohadang yugo (Posthumous Manuscripts of Seohadang), a collection of writings by Kim Seong-won (1525-1597), a Neo-Confucian scholar-statesman of the mid-Joseon Period. The cultural and historical significance of Hwanbyeokdang Pavilion has been increased further by an abundance of poetic works written by well-known men of letters: Im Eok-ryeong, Gi Dae-seung, Song Sun, Kim In-hu, So Se-yang, Jeong Cheol, Baek Gwang-hun, Go Gyeong-myeong, Gwon Pil-do, Jeong Hong-myeong, Mok Jang-heum, Yi Eun-sang, Yi Ha-gon, Yi Myeong-han, Kim Chang-heup, Jo Sang-geon, Yang Gyeong-ji, Jeong Min-ha, and Seo Bong-ryeong.
环碧堂是沙村金允悌(1501～1572)老年时为与自然为伴，培养后辈人才而修建的南道地方典型的“有室形”亭子。附近有无等山元晓溪谷的溪流在流淌，溪谷下方的甑岩川周边有紫薇树形成的壮观景象，被称作紫薇滩。这里是无等山等沿着元晓溪谷的溪流所形成的自然景色秀丽的地区，自古就是有许多诗人墨客常往的名胜之地。
距环碧堂北侧200米有沙村金允悌曾生活过的忠孝村，甑岩川那边有松江郑澈生活过的芝室村，环碧堂下有传说为松江和沙村初次相见之地的钓台和龙沼、双松，历史价值极高。
俛仰亭宋纯和栖霞堂金成远修建了息影亭，3年后（1563年）与息影亭的诗和韵，称“息影亭与环碧堂”为兄弟之亭，潇洒园和息影亭、环碧堂为一洞（甑岩川）之内三处名胜，称为一洞之三胜。
环碧堂有环璧之意，正如其名字一样，形成了绿环环绕的优美自然景观，在与诗歌文学有关的国文学史上具有极高的人文学价值，同时作为别墅园林也价值极高，展现了湖南的代表性楼亭文化。
环碧堂所在之处为无等山的北侧山脊，是经过北峰通往泥蚶岭的众多支脉之一，位于沙村金允悌(1501-1572)出生的忠孝村北侧200米处。此外，隔着作为光州和潭阳分界线的甑岩川(别名：紫薇滩)，南侧的无等山到北侧星山之间的山峰展现了一幅全景景观，蔚为仙境。
环碧堂周边有沙村金允悌生活过的忠孝村和松江郑澈生活过的芝室村、潇洒公梁山甫生活过的苍岩村，这些村子周边分布着息影亭和俛仰亭、松江亭、用来隐居的独守亭和潇洒园、环碧堂等10余座亭子，这一带作为朝鲜时代园林文化的中心地区具有极高的价值。
环碧堂是宋纯、林亿龄、梁山甫、金麟厚、金成远、奇大承、高敬命等当时的最高学者们经常出入的地方，他们在这里欣赏秀丽的自然景观，创作诗文与歌辞，达到了风流文化的极致。其作为朝鲜时代士林文化的中心具有很高的历史文化价值。
环碧堂的早期面貌通过苏世让(1486～1562)所作的《环碧堂》诗文可以得知；通过三渊金昌翕 (1653～1722)的《南游日记》可以了解到当时园林中的植物和绿化树种。金成远(1525～1597)的《栖霞堂遗稿》中留下了《星山溪柳濯热图》等图画，具有人文学价值。
与环碧堂有关的诗文，有作为当时一流文学家的林亿龄、奇大承、宋纯、金麟厚、苏世让、郑澈、白光勋、高敬命、权弼度、郑弘溟、睦长钦、李殷相、李夏坤、李明汉、金昌翕、赵尚健、梁敬之、郑敏河、徐凤翎等诗人墨客的诗歌流传下来，具有人文学价值。
環碧堂は沙村・金允悌（キム・ユンジェ、1501～1572)が引退後に自然と親しみ、後学を養成する目的で建設した南道地域の典型的な有室型の亭である。近くには無等山（ムドゥンサン）元暁渓谷の渓流が流れ、渓流の下には甑岩川周辺にサルスベリが美しい景観を形成しているので、「紫薇灘」と呼ばれている。とくに、ここは無等山をはじめとする元暁渓谷の稜線が美しく、その自然を堪能するために文人墨客が多訪れた名勝地である。
環碧堂から200メートル北には沙村・金允悌の住んでいた忠孝村が、甑岩川の向こうには松江・鄭澈の住んでいた智実村があり、環碧堂の南には松江と沙村がはじめて出会ったという言われる釣台と滝壷、双松があるなど、歴史的価値を有する。
俛仰亭・宋純（ソン・スン）は棲霞堂・金成遠（キム・ソンウォン）が息影亭を建設して3年後の1563年、息影亭の詩から次韻をして「息影亭と環碧堂」を兄弟のような亭だとし、瀟灑園、息影亭、環碧堂は「一洞之三勝」、つまり一つの地域(甑岩川)に三つの名勝があると表現した。
「環碧」は碧が環のように囲っている美しい場所だという意味であり、環碧堂は詩歌文学と関連のある国文学史としての人文学的価値を有し、「別墅・園林」として湖南（ホナム）地域を代表する楼閣と亭の文化を示す素晴らしい場所である。
環碧堂の位置する無等山の北陵から北峰を経てコマクジェへと続く支脈があり、沙村・金允悌(1501～1572)の生まれた忠孝村の200m南にある。また、光州（クァンジュ）と潭陽（タミャン）の境界となる甑岩川(またの名を紫薇灘という)を間に、南の無等山から北の星山（ソンサン）に至るまで、山々がパノラマの景観を見せている。
環碧堂周辺には沙村・金允悌が住んでいた忠孝村、松江・鄭澈の住んでいた智実村、瀟灑公・梁山甫が住んでいた蒼岩村があり、これらの村の周辺には息影亭、俛仰亭、松江亭、隠居のために建てられた独守亭、瀟灑園、環碧堂など約10の亭が散在している。したがって、この一帯が朝鮮時代の園林文化の中心であったことが分かり、高い価値を有する。
環碧堂は当時最高の碩学だった宋純、林億齢、梁山甫、金麟厚、金成遠、奇大升、高敬命などが訪れた場所であり、秀麗な自然景観を鑑賞し、詩文と歌辞を制作するなど、風流文化が栄えるなど、朝鮮時代の士林文化の中心だったという歴史文化的価値を有する。
環碧堂の初期の姿は、蘇世讓(1486～1562)の詩「環碧堂」から推察することができる。さらに、三淵・金昌翕（1653～1722）の『南遊日記』により、当時の園林の植物や造園の樹種を推定することができる。また、金成遠((1525〜1597)の『棲霞堂遺稿』には「星山渓柳濯熱図」などの絵が描かれており、人文学的価値を有する。
環碧堂関連の詩文は、当時の一流の文人である林億齢、奇大升、宋純、金麟厚、蘇世讓、鄭澈、白光勲、高敬命、権弼度、鄭弘溟、睦長欽、李殷相、李夏坤、李明漢、金昌翕、趙尚健、楊敬之、鄭敏河、徐鳳翎などの文人墨客の作品が伝わっており、人文学的価値を有する。
