Namhansanseong Fortress

Namhansanseong Fortress, a fortress built during the Joseon Dynasty to defend the capital city of Hanyang

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Planning the visit

Namhansanseong Fortress is stop 1 of 9 on the Royalty Route.

You will find the stamp at the World Heritage Center at Namhansanseong Fortress.

Admission is charged: Haenggung - Adults KRW 2,000 / Teenagers KRW 1,000.

The two closest stamp points are Jongmyo Shrine, 20 km away, and Changdeokgung Palace at 20 km. All three fit into one day.

Details

Address: San 23, Sanseong-ri, Namhansanseong-myeon, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
Stamp zone: World Heritage Center at Namhansanseong Fortress
Hours: April ~ October: 10:00 ~ 18:00 November ~ March: 10:00 ~ 17:00 (Last admission 30 minutes before closing / Closed every Monday)
Admission: Haenggung - Adults KRW 2,000 / Teenagers KRW 1,000
Phone: 031-743-6610
Website: www.gg.go.kr/namhansansung-2
Coordinates: 37.47914, 127.18016

What the campaign says about it

Injo, the 16th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, who usurped his predecessor, chose to focus on strengthening Joseon’s bond with the Ming Dynasty. At the time, Later Jin, which was battling the Ming Dynasty for supremacy over China, invaded Joseon in 1627 CE (5th year of King Injo). This incident is known as the Later Jin invasion of Joseon. After the war, Later Jin and Joseon formed a nominal alliance. However, over time, the relationship steadily deteriorated. Close to a decade later, Later Jin, which now called itself Qing, invaded Joseon again with a massive army. This second war with Later Jin, which began in 1636 CE (14th year of King Injo), is known as the Qing invasion of Joseon. During this invasion, King Injo was forced to flee the capital and take refuge in none other than Namhansanseong Fortress. Unfortunately, the Qing army stormed Hanyang in the blink of an eye, crossed the Hangang River, and laid siege to Namhansanseong Fortress. Inside the Fortress, King Injo had less than two months' worth of rations. Although cut off from the rest of his country, King Injo held out as long as he could. But when the Qing army took Ganghwado, he had no choice but to surrender. King Injo laid down his arms, came out of Namhansanseong Fortress, made his way to Samjeondo, where the Qing army was garrisoned, and signed a humiliating treaty. Hong Taiji of Qing compelled King Injo to erect a monument praising the deeds of the Qing Dynasty and its emperor. This monument is the Samjeondobi Monument in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu. Although King Injo did end up surrendering to the Qing army, Namhansanseong Fortress has never been captured or taken by enemy forces. Throughout history, Namhansanseong Fortress, along with Bukhansanseong Fortress, has defended Seoul from invaders. It was built in 1624 CE (2nd year of King Injo) using the ruins of Jujuseong Fortress, which was built in 673 CE (13th year of King Munmu of Silla). Since then, the Fortress has been renovated on multiple occasions. In particular, interactions and trade between Korea, China, and Japan, as well as the introduction of Western weaponry, have had a significant impact on the construction of the Namhansanseong Fortress. Originally, the Fortress had several more buildings and structures built elaborately along the rugged ridgeline. Today, however, only the east, west, and south gates of the Fortress, barracks, and administrative office buildings remain. One notable place inside Namhansanseong Fortress is the Namhansanseong Haenggung Site. In addition to several offices for officials, the Haengung Temporary Palace at Namhansanseong has a shrine built to safeguard the ancestral tablets of past Joseon Dynasty monarchs, which is an indicator that it was well-equipped to serve as a temporary capital in times of crisis. Seoul Samjeondobi Monument The Jurchen people, who had paid tribute to the Joseon Dynasty for centuries, grew rapidly in power, changed their name to Qing, and invaded Joseon in 1636 CE. Ultimately, King Injo surrendered to Qing forces at a ferry terminal near Samjeondo along the Hangang River, and signed a peace treaty. The Samjeondobi Monument was a condition Hong Taiji of Qing required when King Injo surrendered - the Monument praises the deeds of Hong Taiji. Namhansanseong Haenggung Palace is unique in that it features not only administrative facilities, but also a shrine for the ancestral tablets of the royal family. No other Haeungung Temporary Palace has this royal shrine. Namhansanseong Fortress is a historical site with a proud history of surviving countless attacks from invading forces without being captured or taken once. It is also a prime example of advanced fortress-building technology in Korea.

Quoted from the Visit Korean Heritage Campaign.

Getting there

Take bus no. 9300 at the Myeongdong Kookmin Bank bus stop → Get off at Yatap station/New Seongnam Terminal (inter-city bus) bus stop → Walk to the Yatap station/New Seongnam Terminal (rear) bus stop, then take bus no. 52 → Get off at Namhansanseong bus stop (last bus stop) → Walk for 1 minute

Photographs

Photographs supplied by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.