Gyodong Eupseong

Gyodong Eupseong is a Joseon Dynasty town fortress located at the southern foot of Hwagae Mountain in Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon. The terrain is high in the north and low in the south. A eupseong is a fortress built for the purpose of defending a town where a local administrative office was located. Gyodong Eupseong was first built in 1629 when Gyeonggi Naval Headquarters was established in Gyodong, and was repaired several times thereafter. The fortress surrounded the entire town to prevent invasions from outside, and gates were installed in several places to allow communication with the outside. The circumference of the fortress is about 779m, and gates were built in three places: east, south, and north. All three gates had barbicans. Each gate had a gate pavilion: the east gate was called Tongsamnu, the south gate was called Yuryangnu, and the north gate was called Gongbuknu. The main camp of the Samdosugun Tong-eoyeong (Three-Province Naval Command) was also stationed inside this fortress. It is unclear when the east and north gates disappeared. The south gate, Yuryangnu, collapsed due to a storm in 1921, leaving only the rainbow-shaped arch, and was restored in 2018 to its current appearance. Nearby attractions worth visiting together include Gyodong Hyanggyo and Gyodong Market. Address: 577 Eumnae-ri, Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon