Namhansanseong (南漢山城, literally "South Han Mountain Fortress") is a park at an elevation of 460m above sea level, about 25km southeast of Seoul. It is located on Namhan-san ("South Han Moutain"). It contains fortifications that date to the 17th century, and a number of temples. Download high resolution version (400x610, 130 KB)South gate of Namhansanseong, publicity photo courtesy http://www. ... The Korean language is the most widely used language in Korea, and is the official language of both North and South Korea. ... Hangul is the native alphabet used to write the Korean language, as opposed to the Hanja system borrowed from China. ... Hanja (lit. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... Seoul is the capital of South Korea and was, until 1945, the capital of all of Korea. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

Early history

Tradition connects the site of Namhansanseong with Onjo, founder of Baekje. In 672, a fortress called Chujangseong (書長城) was built on the western edge of Namhansan to protect Silla from Tang China. Later the fortress was renamed Iljangseong (日長城). Goryeo kings kept the fortress in repair as a defensive outpost for Gwangju, the nearby provincial capital. King Onjo (r. ... Baekje was a kingdom in southwestern Korea. ... Silla (also denoted as Shilla) was one of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea. ... The Tang Dynasty (唐朝 Hanyu Pinyin táng cháo; 618-907) followed the Sui Dynasty and preceded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. ... The Goryeo (also Koryo) kingdom ruled Korea from the fall of Silla in 935 until the founding of Joseon in 1392. ... Gwangju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, southeast of Seoul. ...

Most of the fortress that exists today dates from the Yi period. The construction was planned Seo, beginning in 1624, when the Manchus were threatening Ming China. In 1636, the Manchus invaded and Injo fled with his court and 13,800 soldiers to Namhansanseong. Here they were well defended and the king enjoyed the protection of a bodyguard comprised of 3000 fighting monks. The Manchus were not able to take the fortress by storm, but after 45 days of siege the food supply inside ran out, and the king was forced to surrender, giving his sons as hostages and shifting allegiance from the Ming. The Samjeondo Monument (三田渡碑) was erected on the southern route from Seoul to Namhansanseong to mark this event. The Joseon Dynasty (alternatively, Choson or Chosun) is usually preceded with the title Great. ... The Manchu (manju in Manchu; 滿族 (pinyin: mǎnzú) in Chinese, often shortened to 滿 (pinyin: mǎn) are an ethnic group who originated in Manchuria. ... The Ming Dynasty (Chinese: 明朝; Pinyin: míng cháo also called 大明帝国 The Great Ming Empire) was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, though claims to the Ming throne (now collectively called the Southern Ming) survived until 1662. ... The Samjeondo Monument (South Korean Historic site no. ...

After the Manchus withdrew, Namhanseong remained untouched until the reign of Sukchong, who enlarged it and added Pongamseong on the northeast corner of the fortress area in 1686. Another annex, Hanbongseong, was built along the ridge east of the fortress in 1693. More work was done in the reign of Yeongjo (1724-76). The grey brick parapets date from 1778, during the reign of Cheongjo. Events The League of Augsburg is founded. ... Events January 11 - Eruption of Mt. ... King Yeongjo was the 21st king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Namhansanseong Provincial Park

The fortress went unused and slowly crumbled until 1954, when it was designated a national park and a good deal of repair work was done. The fortress area once accommodated nine temples, as well as various command posts and watch towers. Today a single command post, Seojangdae (西將台), and a single temple, Changgyeongsa, remain. There are other more recent temples on the path up to the south gate and fortress walls. The north, south and east gates have been restored. 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Seojangdae is where Injo stayed during the Manchu siege of 1636. The building's second story was added in 1751, at which time the pavilion received another name, Mumangnu (無忘樓), meaning "Unforgotten Tower". This name apparently refers to the unforgettable shame of the surrender to the Manchus. The shrine of Chonggyedang dates from the same period, and was constructed in honour of Yi Hoe, who was wrongfully executed for his responsibilities in constructing of the southern part of Namhansanseong. Events February 24 - King Christian of Denmark gives an order that all beggars that are able to work must be sent to Brinholmen Island to build ships or as galley rowers March 26 - Utrecht University founded in The Netherlands. ... Events Adam Smith is appointed professor of logic at the University of Glasgow March 31 - The future King George III of the United Kingdom succeeds his father as Prince of Wales. ...

A number of less important historical, sites such as Sungnyeoljeon (崇烈殿, erected in 1638) and Chimgwajeong are associated with the ancient Baekje ruler Onjo. Not far from the western wall was the site of Songsu-tap (頌壽塔), a tower with a metal phoenix on top, erected to commemorate President Syngman Rhee's 80th birthday in 1955. When the Rhee government was overthrown in the 1960 Student Revolution, the monument was destroyed. Events March 29 - Swedish colonists establish first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden. ... Syngman Rhee (March 26, 1875 - July 19, 1965) was a Korean politician and the first president of South Korea. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• History of Korea
• History of South Korea