Heunginjimun Gate - Dongdaemun Gate

Heunginjimun Gate is the eastern gate among the eight gates of Seoul Fortress. Seoul Fortress is the old name of the Seoul City Wall, which was built to protect Hanseongbu, where important national facilities were located in the past. It is also called Dongdaemun (Great East Gate) because it is the large gate in the east. It was built in 1396 (the 5th year of King Taejo of Joseon) during the construction of the fortress, rebuilt in 1453 (the 1st year of King Danjong), and the current gate was newly built in 1869 (the 6th year of King Gojong). It is a two-story building with 5 bays in the front and 2 bays on the sides, and the roof is a hip-and-gable roof shaped like a trapezoid when viewed from the front. The brackets (gongpo) supporting the eaves are decorated not only on top of the pillars but also between them, in a multi-bracket style (dapo style). Their slender, weak form and abundant decorations well represent the characteristics of the late Joseon period. Additionally, a semi-circular barbican (ongseong) was built outside to protect and strengthen the gate. This can be considered a facility rationally planned for attacking enemies. Heunginjimun is the only gate among the eight fortress gates to have a barbican, and it well reflects the architectural style of the late Joseon period. It is located right next to Exit 9 of Dongdaemun Station on Subway Line 1 and Line 4. Within a 5-minute walk, there are the Fortress Park and the Seoul City Wall Museum, as well as Seoul attractions such as DDP and Dongdaemun Market, making it a good place to explore together.