Samnyeonsanseong | |
Hangul | 보은삼년산성 |
---|---|
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Boeun Samnyeon Sanseong |
McCune–Reischauer | Boeun Samnyŏn Sansŏng |
Samnyeon Sanseong Fortress (literally "Three-Years' Mountain Fortress") is the ruins of a Silla fortress and wall that was built beginning in the year 470. The fortress was reconstructed in 486. The ruins are located in present-day Boeun,South Korea. During the Three Kingdoms Period the town of Boeun-eup,located two kilometers from the fortress,was known as Samnyeon-gun or Samnyeonsan-gun and it is believed by some that the fortress gets its name from the town. However,the Samguk Sagi relates that the fortress was completed in three years (Korean,sam nyeon),and that the fortress derived its name from this fact. This account also suggests that the nearby town derived its name from the fortress,rather than vice versa. The Annals of Joseon Dynasty show that the fortress was known as Ojeong Sanseong Fortress and was used during the Joseon Dynasty,probably because the fortress is located atop Mount Ojeongsan.
The fortress has been registered by the South Korean government on the tentative list of sites awaiting approval as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Although parts of the old wall have survived to this day,it is undergoing a major reconstruction by the Korean government. It is also listed as Korean Historic Site No.235.
The walls of Samnyeon Sanseong Fortress measured over 1,680 meters or 1,880 meters in length,depending on the reference source. They were built by alternating rows of slim and flat stones placed in horizontal and vertical layers. This method of construction resulted in a very strong wall structure. The walls of the fortress,built on vertical cliffs,combine to create an impenetrable wall which ranged from thirteen to twenty meters in height. The width of the walls ranged from five to eight meters. The walls of stone also incorporated ramparts of mounded earth. Other notable features of the ruins include four gates,seven Ongseong (curved guard bastions),two sluice gates and five wells. The four gates,located approximately equidistantly measure at about 4.5 meters in length. The Ongseong,or guard posts,were placed in areas most vulnerable to attack and were 25 meters in circumference and 8.3 meters in height. A large pond was once inside the fortress and was used as an important water source although only the outline of the pond remains today.
The fortress is valuable because it shows what building techniques were employed by the Silla during the late fifth century. Additionally,Samnyeon Sanseong Fortress exhibits the characteristics typical of a Korean mountain fortress. There are two general classifications of Korean-style mountain fortress. The Pokok style is a fortress which surrounds the valley while the Teimeui style is a fortress where the walls are built around the peaks of the mountain,sometimes described like a folding screen across the mountain. [1] This fortress follows the Teimeui tradition.
The fortress occupied and protected a strategic location and is credited with helping Silla to achieve the unification of Korea. During the late seventh century,Silla used the fortress as a base to attack Baekje to the west while also preparing for advances against Goguryeo to the north. [1] The fortress was pivotal in securing the Han River Valley,the central part of the Korean peninsula. [1] The reputation of the fortress is such that it is said that Wanggeon,the first king of Goryeo,failed in his attempt to take the fortress 918. Excavations in 1983 of artifacts from the Three Kingdoms period up to the Joseon Dynasty give clues as to when the fortress was occupied and used. Thousands of tombs also surround the fortress. Another notable feature of the fortress is the presence of engraved calligraphy on a boulder at its entrance,writing that has been attributed to Kim Saeng.
Jeonju is the capital and largest city of North Jeolla Province,South Korea. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food,historic buildings,sports activities,and innovative festivals.
Namhansanseong (Korean: 남한산성) is a historical mountain fortress city 25 km southeast of Seoul,South Korea. It sits approximately 480 m above sea level and is aligned with the ridges of the mountain for maximum defensibility. The fortress,stretching 12 km in length,protects a vast area used as an emergency capital city during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea (1392–1910). The design is based on fortress architecture of East Asia,embodying aspects of four historical cultural styles:the Joseon of Korea,the Azuchi-Momoyama Period of Japan,and Ming and Qing China.
Heunginjimun,more commonly known as Dongdaemun,is one of The Eight Gates of Seoul in the Fortress Wall of Seoul,a prominent landmark in central Seoul,South Korea. The Korean name "Dongdaemun" means "Great East Gate," and it was so named because it was the major eastern gate in the wall that surrounded Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty. The gate is located at Jongno 6-ga in Jongno-gu.
Yeoju is a city in Gyeonggi Province,South Korea. Yeoju was a county but was raised to the status of a city in September 2013. Together with the neighboring city of Icheon,it is known as a major center of contemporary South Korean ceramics,and hosts the World Ceramic Exposition every year. Other local products of note include rice,sweet potatoes,and yellow melons. Yeoju is the birthplace of Korea's last queen,Empress Myeongseong.
Seosan is a city in South Chungcheong Province,South Korea,with a population of roughly 175,000 according to the 2017 census. Located at the northwestern end of South Chungcheong Province,it is bounded by Dangjin City,Naepo New Town,Yesan-gun and Hongseong-gun on the east,Taean-gun and the Yellow Sea on the west,125 km (78 mi) south of Seoul,159 km (99 mi) northwest of Daejeon and 34 km (21 mi) northwest of Naepo New Town. Seosan is the hub of transportation of the west coast where the Seohaean Expressway,Daejeon-Dangjin Expressway,National Highways No. 29,32,38 and 45 intersect.
Hamyang County (Hamyang-gun) is a county in South Gyeongsang Province,South Korea.
Korean architecture refers to an architectural style that developed over centuries in Korea. Throughout the history of Korea,various kingdoms and royal dynasties have developed a unique style of architecture with influences from Buddhism and Korean Confucianism.
Hwangnyongsa (Korean: 황룡사),alternatively Hwangnyong Temple or Hwangryongsa,was a Buddhist temple in the city of Gyeongju,South Korea.
Tourism in Gyeongju is a major industry and defining feature of Gyeongju,South Korea. Gyeongju is a major cultural site and tourist destination for South Koreans and foreigners with about 8 to 9 million visitors annually. A great deal of this is due to the city's status as a center of Silla heritage,derived from its former role as the capital of that ancient kingdom.
The history of Seoul can be traced back as far as 18 BC,although humans have occupied the area now known as Seoul since the Paleolithic Age. It has been the capital of numerous kingdoms on the Korean Peninsula since it was established.
The Gyeongju Historic Areas of South Korea were designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. The protected areas encompass the ruins of temples and palaces,outdoor pagodas and statuary,and other cultural artifacts left by the Silla Kingdom. The historic areas are sometimes known as one of the largest outdoor museums in the world.
Wolseong Palace Site,Gyeongju,also commonly known as Wolseong Palace,was the royal palace compound of the Korean Silla monarchy at their capital in Gyeongju during the Silla and Unified Silla periods. It takes its name from the approximate outline of the palace walls which were shaped like a crescent moon. Banwolseong has been also known as Sinwolseong or Jaeseong,which means where the king resides.
The Tombs of the Joseon dynasty refers to the 40 tombs of members of the House of Yi,which ruled Korea between 1392–1910. These tombs are scattered over 18 locations across the Korean Peninsula. They were built to honor and respect the ancestors and their achievements and assert their royal authority. The tombs have been registered as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. Two other Joseon tombs,located in Kaesong,North Korea,were proposed but not submitted.
Bunhwangsa is a temple complex from the Old Silla era of Korea. It is located in Gyeongju. The temple is recorded to have been built in 634 under the auspices of Queen Seondeok. Today the temple is still used by a small group of worshipers but in its heyday,the temple covered several acres and was one of the four main temples of the Silla Kingdom used by the state to ask the Buddha to bless the kingdom. The ruins of Hwangnyongsa Temple lay nearby. It is part of the UNESCO world heritage site Gyeongju Historic Areas.
Ki castle was an ancient kōgoishi type castle (also known as a Korean-style fortresses in Japan located in the city of Sōja,Okayama Prefecture,Japan. Its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 1986. Portions of the castle were reconstructed in the early 2000s.
Naganeupseong Folk Village is a Korean historic village located in Nagan-myeon,Suncheon,South Jeolla,South Korea. This well-preserved walled town served as an administrative core for the county during the Joseon Dynasty and it is designated as historical site N0. 302.
Bongjeongsa is a Korean Buddhist temple on the slopes of Mount Cheondeung in Andong city,North Gyeongsang Province,South Korea. It is a subsidiary temple of Gounsa,the head temple of the 16th branch of Jogye Order.
The Paekmasan Fortress is a walled fortress in Phihyon County,North Korea. It is listed as a National Treasure of North Korea (#58).
The Baekje Historic Areas are a group of monuments located in three South Korean cities:Gongju,Buyeo,and Iksan. They relate to the last period of the Baekje Kingdom,representing the period from 475 to 660 CE,which was one of the three kingdoms that flourished from 18 BC to 660 CE. The property designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has eight archaeological sites. These are:The Gongsanseong fortress and the royal tombs at Songsan-ri,related to the capital city of Ungjin,now Gongju;the Busosanseong Fortress and Gwanbuk-ri administrative buildings,the Jeongnimsa Temple,the Neungsan-ri royal tombs,and the Naseong city wall in Sabi,now Buyeo;and the Wanggung-ri Palace and the Mireuksa Temple in Iksan,a subsidiary capital region of Sabi.
Korean fortresses are fortifications constructed by Koreans since the Three Kingdoms of Korea period. Koreans developed a unique and distinct fortress tradition. Korea,beginning with Goguryeo,has been called "a country of fortresses";almost 2,400 mountain fortress sites have been found in Korea.