Namhansanseong Provincial Park [UNESCO World Heritage]

Namhansanseong Provincial Park encompasses Namhansanseong Fortress, one of the four major fortresses that once defended Hanyang (old Seoul). The four fortresses were Gaeseong in the north, Suwon in the south, Ganghwa in the west, and Gwangju in the east. Namhansanseong Fortress was located in Gwangju to the east. It is situated on Namhansan Mountain, 24km southeast of Seoul and 6km northeast of Seongnam City. The fortress has a total length of 12.4km (main wall 8.9km, outer wall 3.2km, and Sinamseong Fortress 0.2km) and a height of 7.3m. Records indicate that over 2,000 years ago, it was the royal fortress of Onjo, the founder of Baekje and son of Goguryeo's King Dongmyeong. There is also a record that during the Silla Dynasty, in the 13th year of King Munmu's reign (673), a fortress called Jujangseong was built in Hansanju during the Silla-Tang War. The old site was reused and repaired multiple times in later generations, with major construction beginning during the reign of King Gwanghaegun of Joseon (1621). The stone-walled Namhansanseong Fortress has a circumference of about 12km. It was built using natural stones, with large stones at the bottom and smaller stones on top. There are four main gates with gate towers, one on each side (east, west, south, north), and 16 hidden gates. Command posts were located at the four cardinal points. Inside the fortress, the Sucheongcheong (Military Command) was established, along with government offices, warehouses, and a temporary palace. The temporary palace, used in emergencies, consisted of 73 rooms in the upper palace, 154 rooms in the lower palace, and 26 rooms in the left hall, totaling 252 rooms. Eighty wells and 45 springs were created, and the administrative office of Gwangju-eup was also moved inside the fortress. This gives an idea of the importance of Namhansanseong Fortress and the population it could accommodate. During the first military drill held after the fortress was built (the 17th year of King Injo's reign, 1639), 12,700 people participated. However, only a few buildings remain inside the fortress today: the East and South Gates, Seojangdae (West Command Post), Hyeonjeolsa Shrine, Yeonmugwan Training Hall, Janggyeongsa Temple, Jisudang Hall, Yeongwoljeong Pavilion, Chimgyejeong Pavilion, Sungnyeoljeon Hall and Lee Seo General's Shrine, as well as dams, pavilions, and bastions. Among these, the four main gates, Sueojangdae (Command Post), and a section of the wall near the West Gate are well preserved in their original form. Namhansanseong Fortress is designated as a Historic Site and a Provincial Park.