Korea tourist destination #5 Hanyangdoseong

View from Gokseong Lookout

    Hanyangdoseong    

The wall, which follows the ridges of Baegak  (Bugaksan), Naksan  (Naktasan), Namsan  (Mongmyeoksan) and Inwangsan, the four main mountains surrounding the center of Seoul, has been constantly managed since its initial construction in 1396. The wall measures between 5 and 8m high and is 18.6km long, and it bears witness to the role played by a city wall in the life of a capital city, still sustained in modern day Seoul.

 

Hanyangdoseong has four main gates and four auxiliary gates. The main gates are Heunginjimun, Donuimun, Sungnyemun and Sukjeongmun, while the auxiliary gates are Hyehwamun, Souimun, Gwanghuimun and Changuimun. In addition, the five-arch water gate and two-arch water gate to the south of Heunginjimun were built to transport water from Cheonggyecheon Stream to outside the wall.

 

 Scenery of  hanyangdoseong  

 

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 History of    Hanyangdoseong  

Korean history is engraved in Hanyangdoseong.
Korean history is engraved in Hanyangdoseong. The wall preserves a succession of building technics and structure developed by the Korean people from the Three Kingdoms period onwards. It also shows the whole process of building-technic development during Joseon.

Hanyangdoseong was originally built about 620 years ago. The actual construction work continued for 98 days, half in the winter and half in the summer of 1394. Some 197,400 people were mobilized for the construction of the wall, which was divided into 97 sections of around 600 feet. The sections were named in the order of the characters in the Thousand Character Classic, a primer for teaching Sino-Korean. Workers from same counties and prefectures were assigned to a specific section. Originally, wall sections on flat ground were built of rammed earth, while those on mountainous terrain were built of stone. However, in 1422, the earthen sections of the wall were replaced with stone as well. In 1704, another massive restoration and rebuilding project was carried out, as parts of the wall had collapsed over the course of time. And since then several restorations have been carried out, too. During the construction of the wall, records of the works were inscribed on the stone blocks of the wall.

Hanyangdoseong lost a large part of its former appearance during the country’s modernization. In 1899, the first tram lines were built to connect Seoul with outlying communities, and the wall gates lost their original function. Thereafter, the wall connected to the gates were demolished for the expansion of the city’s road networks from 1907. In the Japanese colonial period, Japanese governors deliberately dismantled the wall gates or neglected to be damaged. Donuimun and Souimun Gate were dismantled and Gwanghuimun and Hyehwamun Gate were seriously damaged. Also the wall was damaged in that local residents built their houses too near to it. After Korean liberation from Japan, the wall continued to be damaged in the rush of modernization.

Conservation of Hanyangdoseong began at a site around Sukjeongmun Gate, behind Presidential residence, shortly after a unit of North Korean Special Forces infiltrated Seoul on 21 January 1968. That project was extended to the entire wall section from 1974. However, the authenticity of Hanyangdoseong was damaged in places as conservation and restoration works were overly focused on rejoining severed sections. Seoul Metropolitan Government fully recognized these problems, and established the department exclusively responsible for the wall, Hanyangdoseong Division in September 2012. And the city government drew up master plan for the conservation and management of Hanyangdoseong in accordance with the criteria for UNESCO World Heritage Sites in October 2013.

As of 2014, some 70% (12.8km) of entire Hanyangdoseong has been kept in tact, and Sukjeongmun, Gwanghuimun, and Hyehwamun went through conservation work, although Gwanghuimun and Hyehwamun had to be put on locations near their original sites.

 

[A stone block of the wall, inscribed as “Gangjayukbaekcheok”]

A Stone of the wall, written as “Gangjayukbaekcheok” was discovered in an embankment near the Namsan J-Gran House. The stone block is the record of the constructon section and length. The original position of this stone is unknown, as the embankment was built with the stones acquired from the demolished wall.

[Excavation site of Hanyangdoseong at the foot of Hoehyeon, Namsan]

In 2013, a section of the wall(94.1m), which had been demolished in 1925 (during the Japanese Colonial Period) to build the Joseon Shinto Shrine was excavated. This section of the wall, built with both original stone blocks from the wall and new stone blocks used for its repair, shows the layers of 600-years history of the wall.

 

Hanyangdoseong, which protected Seoul for some 600 years, closely affected the daily life of the people inside

Hanyangdoseong, which protected Seoul for some 600 years, closely affected the daily life of the people inside. Residents were informed of the opening and closing times of the city gates by the sound of the Bell at Bosingak Belfry on Jongno. The bell was struck thirty-three times to lift the curfew in the early morning and twenty-eight times to announce the curfew in the evening. The gates of private houses were opened and closed according to the tolling of the bell, so the opening and closing times of the city gates controlled the rhythm of the citizen’s life.

Hanyangdoseong was also a boundary between life and death. Everyone who died, whether king or commoner, had to be buried outside the wall. Thus, living within the wall signified life itself to the people in Seoul.

Hanyangdoseong represented the capital itself. People headed towards the capital from countryside would see the wall in the distance and realized they were nearing their destination. The wall meant something different to the scholars who traveled to the capital to take the state examinations, success in which would land them a government post. Some of those candidates, hoping to pass the exam, would walk around the entire wall. This practice became popular among local residents and developed into a traditional amusement going around the wall and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Hanyangdoseong helped unite the capital with its suburbs. Quarrying was prohibited inside the wall, stones used for the wall had to be supplied from outside. Although the wall was built on the ridges of Mts. Baegak, Naksan, Namsan(Mongmyeoksan) and Inwangsan, the stone materials came from areas around Mts. Bukhansan and Achasan outside the wall.

The capital protection system was anchored by Hanyangdoseong. The wall alone was insufficient for defending the capital. during times of external invasion or civil rebellion, the wall was never used for the purpose of defense. Therefore, people commonly complained about all the work to build the wall in that is useless. On September 11, 1971 in lunar calender, King Yeongjo proclaimed the decree on guarding the walls, declaring, “In an emergency, I will be the first to go up to the fortified wall to defend the city with the people.” Moreover, the king assigned each defense section to a community inside the wall so that they could protect their own section with their own weapons in event of an emergency.

 

[Hyehwamun Gate]

Hyehwamun from outside the wall. Hyehwamun served as a passageway to city of Uijeongbu and Pocheon from the capital.

 

 

[Naksan Mountain Trail]

As the administrative district of Seoul has expanded greatly, Hanyangdoseong, which once marked the boundary between Hanseongbu (Capital Prefecture in Joseon) and its outskirts 600 years ago, has now become a cultural property in the center of Seoul.

 

Hanyangdoseong is the outcome of a succession of developments regarding the structure and the techniques used to construct fortress walls on both mountainous terrain and flat ground since Goguryeo.

Hanyangdoseong pairs royal palaces and fortress walls of Bukhansanseong and Namhansanseong, which protected the capital city. The shape of the stone blocks and inscriptions on them indicate the construction date and time period.

The wall construction in the reign of King Taejo (1396)

The wall were completed by two separate projects in January and August of 1396(lunar calender). The stone sections of the wall were built on mountainous terrain, while rammed earth sections were constructed on flat ground. Natural stones were shaped for use in the construction of the wall.

The wall construction in the reign of King Sejong (1422)

The wall reconstruction project in January of 1422(lunar calender) replaced the rammed earth sections with natural stones chiseled into kernel shape.

 

 

The wall construction in the reign of King Sukjong (1704~)

The stone blocks used in the rebuilding of the wall were made in a standardized size of 40~45cm in length and width, preserving the wall more solid than before.

 

 

The wall construction in the reign of King Sunjo (1800~)

Square(60cm x 60cm)stone blocks were used to construct the wall. Stone blocks with character engravings can be seen along the parapet. Research into the inscriptions is ongoing.

 

Hanyangdoseong was built along the natural topography around Seoul. Respect for nature is a long-held tradition of the Korean people. Thus, the wall, which was built in this natural way, became a part of the natural environment over time and a subject of culture and art.

Hanyangdoseong is one of the world’s longest and oldest city walls. It is rare to find city walls the size of Hanyangdoseong in any city with a population of ten million people or more. Although some sections are damaged, 70% of the entire length of the wall has been preserved or rebuilt.

Hanyangdoseong was registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List on 23 November 2012. Getting Hanyangdoseong listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is an expression of the Korean people’s desire and resolution to preserve the natural and historical landscape of Seoul and to hand it down to future generations. The most important factor in preserving any cultural heritage is the love by the residents who live with that cultural heritage.

 

 The Value of Hanyangdoseong  

The Proposed Outstanding Universal Value of Hanyangdoseong

The Hanyangdoseong protected palaces, government offices Jongmyo Shrine and Sajikdan Altar and residents in the Joseon capital for more than half a millennium. As such, the structure represents the capital and the very heart of the country. Moreover, the city walls around Seoul also carry on an indigenous tradition of wall construction on both flat and mountainous terrain that can also be seen in the walls around Goguryeo capital at Pyeongyang and Goguryeo capital at Gaeseong. Meanwhile, Hanyang, the Joseon capital, was laid out according to the Confucian world order and symbolism.

Hundreds of thousands of laborers were mobilized from around the kingdom in 1396 to build the first walls around Hanyang. They were then repaired and partially rebuilt during the reigns of Sejong and Sukjong. Written records such as the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and the Diary of the Royal Secretariat describe how these massive projects were carried out, while sections of the wall built or repaired at different periods in Joseon clearly show how the construction methods evolved over time. The wall also conforms to geomantic principles, as the sections on flat ground constructed differently than those that follow the ridgelines of Naesasan (the four inner mountains of the old capital) around the city. At the same time, the Hanyangdoseong has been a popular place for outings and has been the subject to paintings, poetry and stories throughout its history.

Hanyangdoseong today is an historical relic that graces the city of Seoul, with a population of over ten million. It enhances the natural cityscape and adds a historical landmark to a city that is now more than six centuries old. These features can be defined as proposed outstanding universal value (OUV) in the following ways:

 

A City-sized Wall Heritage that Surrounds the Old Downtown Area
The methods employed when building Hanyangdoseong are uniquely Korean, originating from those used on the Pyeongyang fortress during Goguryeo and on Kaesong City Walls and its extensions during Goryeo. The wall structure on flat ground differs from that on mountainous terrain. Moreover, the city layout is in the Korean style, with Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jongmyo Shrine, Sajikdan Altar, markets and residences all located within the city walls.

 

A Legacy with Layers of History over 600 Years
The original shapes of the gate towers and main wall are intact, providing a clear look at the traditions followed at the time of construction. Currently, 12.854km of the original 18.627km wall has been preserved or restored, making this the longest among the traditional city walls that remain around the world. The foundations for some of the unrestored parts endure as well. The Joseon dynasty lasted for around five centuries, the longest Confucian dynasty in all of East Asia, and Hanyangdoseong protected the Joseon capital during all that time. Moreover, repair and reconstruction projects were conducted periodically during Joseon, and these were detailed in written records that survive, while the wall itself provides physical evidence of the wall-building techniques and styles employed at different times.

 

A Cultural Legacy Built in Harmony with the Earth
The location of the Hanyangdoseong was decided according to the theories of geomancy and the topography of Korean Peninsula, while the walls follow the ridgelines between the four inner mountains. The walls were built of stone and supported from behind by layered soil and rock that gently slopes to blend into the landscape. The walls’ use of the natural terrain, the contours of the four inner mountains, and the look of the wall on both sides combine for wonderfully scenic view in an urban area.

 

A Heritage Built with Collective Craftsmanship
Laborers were called up from Joseon to build Hanyangdoseong, and people from the same counties and prefectures were assigned specific wall sections. The names of the stonemasons and work bosses were inscribed in the stone blocks of these different sections to make them accountable for the quality of their work. The topography of the four inner mountains was carefully preserved to maintain the integrity of the walls remained, and the trees on the four mountains were cared for to control the amount of water runoff feeding the streams inside the city walls. During 500-year Joseon dynasty, countless poems and paintings were produced on the city walls and the gates, and many survive today. Hanyangdoseongs were closely connected to the lives the people who lived in the capital and stood in their midst, providing a place to express religious beliefs, conduct rituals, write, paint and enjoy leisure time.

 

Authenticity
Hanyangdoseong was built, rebuilt, repaired and maintained continuously for more than half a millennium. The differing wall materials, construction techniques, shape and design from each period appear like historical layers. At the same time, this structure has been preserved to blend harmoniously with the terrain, making the wall an integral part of the four inner mountains that surround the old capital and verifying its authenticity.

In 2008, Sungnyemun, the most important of all the structures on Hanyangdoseong, was badly damaged in an arson attack. Extant written records were consulted to restore and rebuild the structure according to traditional techniques. As with Heunginjimung Gate, The authenticity and original appearance of the wall and its wooden structures are unquestioned.

The Hanyangdoseong has been designated as a cultural treasure and today the terrain of the four inner mountains, the course of the wall, the wall construction techniques and the wall structures are all carefully preserved. The wall is in the heart of today’s Seoul yet its historical value and placement significance as a capital demarcation line is being sustained.

 

Integrity
Hanyangdoseong is the product of uniquely Korean perceptions and practices. It is also the largest-sale wall structure in Korea, with about 70% of the original wall, along with some remaining ruins now being preserved. The various major and minor gates, water gates and beacon platforms that once were integral parts of Hanyangdoseong are also being restored, rebuilt and preserved. Also preserved are the palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and Sajikdan Altar that Hanyangdoseong was originally built to protect.

Hanyangdoseong today has been designated as a national cultural property, with specific parts named National Treasure, Treasure or Historic Site. Meticulous historical research has been ongoing to locate and restore still more sections. The City of Seoul has established a comprehensive plan for preserving, managing and utilizing Hanyangdoseong, and the measures being taken conform to World Heritage Site conservation standards.