Audio Guide Namhansanseong Fortress

Name: Audio Guide Namhansanseong Fortress
Brand: Guipock
Price: 1.50 EUR
Availability: InStock

Gwangju

Duration: 44 min

Audio included

About this place

Namhansanseong is a 17th-century walled fortress that served as a refuge capital for the Joseon Dynasty. Located near Gwangju, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. The site offers visitors an excellent day trip, with well-preserved fortifications and historical structures to explore across the mountainside setting.

Points included in this audio guide

Sueojangdae Fortress

Sueojangdae is the sole surviving command post from the five that originally stood at Namhansanseong fortress, occupying the highest point of the western sector. Built in 1624 as a single-storey structure and originally called Seojangdae (Western Command Post), it was reconstructed as a two-storey building in 1751. The post was designated a National Treasure in 2021, making it an essential visit for understanding the fortress's military architecture and administrative hierarchy.

Templo Sungyeoljeon

Sungyeoljeon is a shrine located within Namhansanseong that houses the ancestral tablets of King Onjo, founder of the Baekje kingdom, and General Lee Seo, who oversaw the fortress's construction. Designated a National Treasure in 2022, it's remarkable for sheltering both a monarch and his subject under one roof—an unusual arrangement in Korean Confucian tradition. Visitors can explore this historically significant site as part of what to see within the fortified complex.

Templo Hyeonjeolsa

Hyeonjeolsa is a Confucian shrine built within Namhansanseong to honour the Three Scholars, who refused to surrender to the Qing Empire during the 1636 Manchu invasion and paid the ultimate price for their loyalty. Designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Gyeonggi Province, it remains one of the few shrines that escaped demolition when the government ordered the destruction of private temples and shrines in 1871. What to see here is a well-preserved example of Korean Confucian architecture and heritage.

Janggyeongsa Temple

Janggyeongsa is the sole Buddhist temple to have survived from the original ten that once stood within Namhansanseong fortress. Designated as a provincial cultural heritage site in Gyeonggi on 19 September 1983, it was founded in 1638 during the sixteenth year of King Injo's reign. The temple was constructed to house warrior-monks (僧軍) summoned from the eight provinces to assist with building the fortress itself.

Cheongnyangdang Pavilion

Pabellón Cheongnyangdang is a sanctuary within Namhansanseong fortress, honouring Lee Hoe, who constructed the fortress during the late Joseon dynasty, alongside his wife and concubine. Designated as a Tangible Cultural Property of Gyeonggi Province on 4 May 1972, it stands at 815-2 Sansong-ri, Namhansanseong-myeon district, Gwangju. What to see here includes the commemorative shrine and the broader fortress complex, one of Korea's most significant historical sites.

Chimgwajeong Pavilion

Chimgwajeong is a nujeong-style pavilion built within Namhansanseong fortress during the late Joseon dynasty. The structure was commissioned by Gwangju's governor, Yi Gi-jin. Designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Gyeonggi Province on 4 May 1972, it stands in Sansong-ri and is owned and managed by Gyeonggi Province. What to see here includes the pavilion's traditional architecture and its historical significance as a well-preserved example of late-period Joseon construction.

Jisudan House

Jisudan is a pavilion built in 1672 within Namhansanseong, a fortress complex featuring ornamental ponds. Designated as Gyeonggi Cultural Property No. 14, the structure takes its name from the 'Jisudan-gi' text, which conveys the meaning of 'nurturing and sustaining the people'. What to see includes the pavilion's traditional architecture and the surrounding water features integrated into the fortress landscape.

Gwangju Martial Arts Training Hall

The Yeonmugwan is the martial training hall at Namhansanseong fortress, where garrison soldiers practised combat techniques and martial arts to maintain their defensive capabilities. It ranks among the few administrative and military structures within the fortified walls to have retained its original form. The building sits on a slight rise reached by a broad stone staircase, flanked by two impressive century-old zelkova trees that stand as silent sentries over the site.

Jihwamun Gate

Jihwamun (至和門) serves as the main southern gateway to Namhansanseong fortress in Gwangju. The largest and most commanding of the four principal gates, it was officially named in 1779 under King Jeongjo's reign. The name translates as 'Gate of Attained Harmony', reflecting the philosophical principle that no fortress can survive without unity amongst its defenders. What to see here includes the architectural grandeur of the gate itself, which stands as a testament to the fortress's historical and strategic importance during the Joseon dynasty.

Bukman Gate (Jeonseungmun)

Jeonseungmun, the North Gate of Namhansanseong fortress, stands at the highest point of the northern flank, perched on steep terrain that drops sharply beyond the walls. Also known as the "Gate of Total Victory," this structure distinguishes itself from other sections of the fortress through its notably inclined construction. The wall encircling the gate was built to conform to the dramatic topography of the site, a distinctive engineering solution to the challenging landscape.

East Gate / Left Gate of Gwangju

The East Gate, known as Jwaikmun (左翼門, 'left-wing gate'), stands as one of four principal entrances to Namhansanseong fortress, positioned in the southeastern corner of the walled complex. Along with the South Gate, it was among the busiest passages through the fortress during its operational period, serving as a vital access point to the fortification.