Cheonja Chongtong Gun

A chongtong is a cannon (hwapo) ignited and fired by hand using a lit fuse. The character 天 (cheon, "heaven") is the first character of the Cheonjamun (Thousand Character Classic), used here as a symbol to indicate the order in which such guns were made. It measures 1.31 m in overall length, with a barrel length of 1.16 m and a muzzle diameter of 12.8 cm, and has eight bamboo-like segments, not counting the band at the muzzle. Near the muzzle, running horizontally toward the chamber where the charge is loaded, an inscription is incised reading "Jiajing eulmyo, tenth month, Cheon [gun], 493 geun 10 nyang, craftsman Yang Nae-yodong," showing that it was made in 1555, the tenth year of King Myeongjong of Joseon. This gun is not only the largest firearm among Korea's cannons but also the oldest surviving example bearing an inscription, and it is valued as a heritage of national defence science and technology.

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Where it is

Region

Jinju, Gyeongnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물