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| Subject |
The City Wall of Seoul Living History in the Heart of Seoul |
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311 |
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| Author/Position |
Charles La Shure |
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| Photographer |
Kim Yong-chul |
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The City Wall of Seoul Living History in the Heart of Seoul
Seoul was originally surrounded by an elaborately built stone wall. Today, many of the citizens of Seoul spend their weekends following the vestiges of this wall on a walking course that allows them to experience the history of the city as they enjoy its views. This has only recently become possible as the gradual opening of once closed sections of the wall has restored the route encircling the old city.
Charles La Shure Professor, Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Kim Yong-chul Photographer
“If we just want to experience Seoul′s history, we can always visit the palaces. But walking along the city wall gives us a sense of what Seoul was like in the past, and shows us how it was founded on principles of pungsu [feng shui]. It offers a new perspective on the city of Seoul.”
Though the city wall of Seoul is over 600 years old, walking along it is a relatively new experience for the residents of South Korea′s capital. This is because the longest remaining section of the wall was declared off limits to civilians after a group of armed North Korean spies infiltrated the mountains around Seoul in January 1968. The wall on Mt. Inwangsan was opened to the public in 1993, while the remaining sections of the wall on Mt. Bugaksan, behind the presidential residence, were opened gradually in 2006 and 2007. Today, Koreans can experience an important part of Seoul’s history and see the city from a different perspective.
600 Years of History
The Joseon Dynasty ruled the Korean Peninsula for over 500 years, from 1392 until the nation was annexed as a colony of Japan in 1910. One of the first things King Taejo did upon founding his dynasty was to move the capital to Seoul in 1394. But simply proclaiming a new capital was not enough; the city had to have all of the institutions and facilities befitting the capital of a nation. Palace buildings and the national shrines so important to a Confucian state were built, and in 1396 construction began on the city wall.
Seoul is encircled by mountains, and the city center in particular is bounded on four sides by what are known as the “four inner mountains.” These are Bugaksan (342 m) to the north, Namsan (262 m) to the south, Naksan (125 m) to the east, and Inwangsan (338 m) to the west. The wall was designed to connect these four mountains, with stone walls on the mountains themselves and earthen walls on the flatlands between them. Most of this original wall was completed in 1396, although it was a few years before all the gates and other fortifications were finished.
Over two decades later, many parts of the wall were in a state of disrepair, and King Sejong ordered a complete repairing and restoration of the wall. Construction began in 1422, and over 300,000 laborers from around the country were mobilized for the project. This number is even more astonishing when we take into account the fact that the entire population of Seoul at the time was about 100,000. In a span of only five weeks, the existing stone walls and fortifications were repaired and the earthen walls were replaced with stone walls.
Although the city wall was built to protect the capital, it never fulfilled this role, even during the tumultuous late 16th century and early 17th century. Walls are only as strong as their defenders, and if there is no one to oppose the enemy, even the most formidable fortress may be taken. When Japan invaded in 1592 and marched on Seoul, King Seonjo and his court fled, leaving the city walls undefended and giving up the capital without a fight. In 1624, rebels led by a military official named Yi Gwal once again captured the city without a struggle. Finally, when the Manchus invaded in 1636, King Injo fled the capital to take refuge in the Namhansanseong Fortress, a ploy that ultimately failed when the Manchus surrounded the fortress and forced the king to surrender.
Before the Manchus left, they forced Joseon to sign a treaty. This treaty contained a clause that forbade repairing existing city walls or building new city walls. So, for nearly 70 years, the city wall of Seoul was left to deteriorate. But at the turn of the century King Sukjong finally defied the treaty and ordered repairs be made to the city wall. Construction began in 1704 and proceeded at intervals until its completion five years later.
With modernization and the beginning of Japanese colonial period, the city wall became an obstacle to progress. In 1898 and 1899, sections of the wall were demolished to build streetcar lines, and other sections were torn down after the turn of the century. When the Japanese officially annexed Korea in 1910, they set about devising plans to modernize Korea as part of their ultimate strategy in East Asia. Plans to modernize Seoul were published in 1912, and as a result nearly all the city wall that stood on flatland was torn down. It was not until 1975 that Korea was able to begin restoration of the wall, and this process continues today. In 2006, the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Seoul Metropolitan Government began a joint restoration project that is scheduled to be completed in 2013, at which time the government plans to submit the city wall for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The City Wall Today
Today, only 10.5 kilometers of the original 18.2-kilometer city wall remain standing. The longest unbroken section of the wall runs over Mt. Bugaksan to the north, with only a short gap before continuing over Mt. Inwangsan to the west. There are shorter sections on Mt. Naksan to the east, running between the gates of Hyehwamun and Heunginjimun (commonly known as Dongdaemun, or the “Great East Gate”), and on Mt. Namsan to the south. Probably the most popular course is the one running from Inwangsan to Bugaksan, in part because it was inaccessible for so long.
Mr. Gu, a long-time resident of Seoul, was excited at the prospect of visiting the city wall with his two elder brothers. “My heart is leaping at the thought of this rewarding trip,” he said. “We′ve lived in Seoul for forty or fifty years and have only ever seen the Skyway Drive and Palgakjeong Pavilion on Mt. Bugaksan.” Ms. Jo, who works in downtown Seoul, in sight of Mt. Inwangsan and Mt. Bugaksan, visits the city wall about twice a month: “I really like how you can see the whole of Seoul at a glance from the top, and there are a number of places along the wall where observation platforms have been set up to allow people to enjoy the views.” Her coworker, Mrs. Lee, agreed. “If we just want to experience Seoul′s history, we can always visit the palaces,” she noted. “But walking along the city wall gives us a sense of what Seoul was like in the past, and shows us how it was founded on principles of pungsu [feng shui]. It offers a new perspective on the city of Seoul.”
Since most of the wall follows the mountain peaks and ridges, walkers are treated to a solid workout in addition to the beautiful, panoramic views of the city. Heading east from Changuimun, the wall climbs steeply up Mt. Bugaksan, and visitors follow along a winding stairway. Once at the top, though, the fresh air and sweeping vistas of Seoul nestled between mountain peaks wash away any fatigue.
Once walkers are able to take their eyes off the city below, the wall itself offers a journey through history. The three different styles of architecture are clearly visible, from King Taejo′s original wall and King Sejong′s renovations to King Sukjong′s construction centuries later. The original city wall consists of smaller, irregular stones fitted together to form fortifications that look and feel very organic. When King Sejong rebuilt and renovated the wall, larger rectangular stones were used, with smaller stones inserted in between to plug any gaps. This wall still feels quite organic, but the lines are much more uniform. The 18th century construction is the most distinct, as square granite blocks were cut to a uniform shape and size to build a sturdy, imposing wall. There are a number of areas, such as the sections adjoining the northernmost gate of Sukjeongmun, where all three construction styles can be seen next to each other.
The observant walker will notice that certain blocks in the wall are engraved with characters. Some of these record the dates of construction and the names of those in charge. Also, since laborers were mobilized from all corners of Korea, some stones mark the sections built by workers from each part of the country. Finally, the entire wall was divided into 97 sections of approximately 180 meters each. Rather than simply numbering these sections, the builders used the text of One Thousand Characters, a primer for learning the basic Chinese characters. The first section, at the peak of Mt. Bugaksan, is labeled with the first character in this text, the character for “the heavens.” The sections continue in order to the east, or clockwise, finishing once again on the peak of Mt. Bugaksan with the 97th character, the character for “to pity.”
Finally, there are the features of the wall itself. The most visible and iconic are the battlements atop the wall. These feature narrow gaps and wide “teeth,” the latter of which are each punctuated by three loopholes. The two outer loopholes are cut straight through the wall, but the center loopholes are angled steeply downward, allowing defenders to target attackers both far away from and close to the wall. There are also smaller square bastions and larger curved bastions located along the wall. These structures offered defenders a greater field of fire, allowing them to cover the walls on either side. The most imposing structures along the wall are the many gates. Of the four great gates, the eastern gate, Heunginjimun, and the southern gate, Sungnyemun, now stand in the middle of busy city streets; Sungnyemun is currently being rebuilt after it was nearly destroyed by fire in 2008. The western gate, Donuimun, was torn down by the Japanese during the colonial period, although it is scheduled to be fully restored by 2013. Only the northern gate, Sukjeongmun, still stands in its
original environment.
Trekking as a New Trend
The Seoul city wall is a precious cultural heritage that offers a glimpse into the history of the city, but it is also a living part of the city today. Encircling what is now the center of Seoul, it can be accessed from various different points, leaving walkers free to choose from short strolls to longer walks that travel up and down mountain ridges. In this day and age, when people often seem to be in so much of a hurry to get where they are going that they do not take the time to stop and look around, many are making an effort to slow down and spend more time thinking about the journey itself than about the destination.
Among those seeking to enjoy the journey, trekking has become quite popular. In fact, a new educational institution called the Korea Trekking School has been founded with full government support for the purpose of introducing the Korean people to this relatively new pastime. According to the school’s website (www.kts2009.com), “While the goal of mountaineering is to overcome danger and adversity, and achieve a sense of accomplishment through adventures and challenges, trekking seeks to eliminate as much danger as possible, allowing the trekker to enjoy the scenery and become a part of nature in a safe and relaxed environment.”
There are a number of long trekking courses around the peninsula. Mt. Jirisan is the highest peak on the South Korean mainland, at a height of over 1,916 meters, and its deep mist-shrouded folds hold a special place in the imagination of Koreans. In recent years, a trail that circles the mountain, known as the Dulle Trail, has been restored for trekking. This trail runs for some 300 kilometers and passes through land that is largely undeveloped and still in its natural form. The trail is divided into smaller sections to allow for shorter, single-day trips.
On Jejudo Island, off the southwestern tip of Korea, the Olle Trail runs along the shoreline, circling the highest mountain in South Korea, Mt. Hallasan (1,950 m). There are currently 15 different trails along this route, spanning some 215 kilometers along the southern shore from the western end of the island to the eastern end, and there are plans to add even more trails in the future. Closer to Seoul, construction is currently underway on a trekking trail that will run around Mt. Bukhansan. In March of this year, the 64-kilometer Sulle Trail, the first section of the longer trail, was opened to the public, and the entire trail is expected to be completed by 2013. With this, trekking looks to take its place in Korean culture next to mountain climbing as a new lifestyle that nurtures both body and soul.
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