Namhansanseong: the Sanctuary of Protection

Name: Namhansanseong

Architect: N/A

Date: 1624

Materials: Stone, wood, metal, lime mortar

Location:Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea

Namhansanseong, a fortified city, was used in the mountains as an emergency capital by the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, 25 km southeast of Seoul. The 12 km long fortress was built and defended by Buddhist soldier-monks, and now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The earliest remains are from the 7th century, but it was rebuilt several times, not ably in anticipation of an attack by the Sino-Manchu Qing dynasty in the early 17th century. The city embodies a synthesis of the defensive military engineering concepts of the period based on Chinese and Japanese influences. It was extensively developed during the 16th to 18th centuries, a period of continuous warfare. During this time, gunpowder was imported from Europe which greatly influenced the architecture and layout of the fortress.

The North Gate

The location of Namhansanseong (on top of a mountain) made it highly defensible. It had an emergency palace for the king, military buildings for the military, and accommodations for regular people (could house 4,000 people), unlike places in Europe where commoners were made to live outside the fortifications. The Japanese destroyed much of the fortress in 1907 to decrease its utility to Koreans, and it lost its function due to the relocation of the Gwangju County Office in 1917. Namhansanseoung then became a remote mountain village. Then, the city suffered population loss and material loss during the Korean War.

Recently, Namhansanseong became a tourist attraction after undergoing large-scale wall restorations and being designated as a provincial park in the 1970s. The restorations and reconstructions of the fortifications have followed detailed scientific guidelines and have taken place over a long period of time. The conservation of the authenticity of the property, especially the temples and wooden buildings, followed many restrictions. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of restaurants and visitor facilities inside the fortress since the 1980s. The Namhansanseong World Heritage Centre is responsible for managing and monitoring the cultural heritage of Namhansanseong. There are specific regulations that limit the construction in the fortress and designates it as a historical site and buffer zone. With these regulations, people have been able to ensure the long term protection and conservation of Namhansanseong.