Geumjeongsanseong

Geumjeongsanseong () is a Joseon-era Korean fortress on the mountain Geumjeongsan in Busan, South Korea. It is the largest fortress in Korea.

History

It's not known with certainty when the first fortress on this location was built; structures existed here from at latest the mid-Joseon period and were continually renovated over time. A fortress may have existed in the area from even during the 57 BCE – 935 CE Silla period. There is a record of repairs being suggested for it in 1667.

Following the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea and the Manchu invasions of Korea, much of the current castle was constructed from 1701 to 1703. In 1707, the fortress was judged to be too large, and so it was split into northern and southern sections by a wall. This fortress fell to disuse because it was too large to maintain. New gates and towers were constructed in 1806. There is a stele () recording the building of the gates.

The fortress was partly destroyed during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945).

Modern period and restoration work

The fortress was made Historic Site of South Korea No. 215 on February 9, 1971, and the fortress upkeep is now done by the Busan Metropolitan Government. The east, west, and south gates began to be restored in 1972. The north gate was rebuilt in 1989. Of the 4 existing observation towers, the tower number 1 (제1망루) located on the south-west side was destroyed by the typhoon Rusa on the morning of September 1, 2002.

More restoration works were under way in the 2000s. Work was divided in 3 phases of 5 years between 1996 and 2010.
* Phase 1 (1996–2000) covers the west region, going from the North Gate down to the West Gate.
* Phase 2 (2000–2005) covers the section of wall on the east side, running between the North Gate and the East Gate. It include the observation towers 3 and 4.
* Phase 3 (2006–2010) covers everything south of the West and East Gates, including the South Gate and the observation towers 1 and 2.

Description

Much of the stones used in the walls are from the immediate environment of the mountain, and thus change depending on the location. The walls are either or in length and from 1.5 meters to 3 meters in height. The area surrounded by the fortress is about 8.2 square kilometers.

Gallery

File:Geumjeong Mountain in Busan.jpg, The castle walls, winding up the mountain (2004)
File:Geumjeong Fortress South Gate.jpg, The south gate (2018)
File:Geumjeong fortress.jpg, The east gate (2004)

References

External links

{{Castles in South Korea

Tourist attractions in Busan
Castles in South Korea
Culture of Busan
Buildings and structures in Busan
Historic Sites of South Korea