Hwangja Chongtong Gun

Yutongsik hwapo, cannon fired by manually igniting a fuse, were divided into four types according to their size, the amount of gunpowder used and their range, and were named after characters from the Thousand Character Classic as the Cheonja, Jija, Hyeonja and Hwangja Chongtong. This piece, the Hwangja Chongtong, is the smallest of the four, made to be easily transported. It has a muzzle diameter of 4 cm and an overall length of 50.4 cm, and bears an inscription recording that it was made in 1587, the twentieth year of King Seonjo, five years before the Japanese invasions of 1592. The barrel gradually thickens from the muzzle, and the body is shaped with four bamboo-like joints. The end of the cannon is rounded, and a handle is attached between the first and second joints. Although it went through both the Japanese invasions of 1592 and the Manchu invasion of 1636, it survives in perfect condition and bears an inscription recording its date of manufacture, so it is highly valued both for the study of the history of cannon and as a heritage item of national defence science and technology.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물