Hwawangsanseong Fortress, Changnyeong

This is a stone mountain fortress on Hwawangsan Mountain, east of the town centre of Changnyeong. The date of its original construction is uncertain, but it appears to predate the Three Kingdoms period and is thought to have been a Gaya fortress. Backed by a steep, rocky peak to the north, it encloses the broad area between the southern summits and has a circumference of 2.6 km. Changnyeong lies at the centre of a wide granary plain along the middle reaches of the Nakdonggang River and was a key point for transport and military strategy in western Gyeongsangnam-do, so this fortress is thought to have been of great importance in its day. Today the east gate, west gate and a pond survive. The fortress lost its function during the reign of King Sejong of Joseon, but its importance was recognised again when the Japanese invasions of 1592 broke out, and Gwak Jae-u used it as a base for righteous-army (volunteer) forces to block the advance of Japanese troops. It underwent one or two further repairs after the war and has been relatively well preserved to this day. The Sejong sillok jiriji (Geographical Appendix to the Annals of King Sejong) records it as the guardian mountain protecting Changnyeong, and, since it also encompassed Yeongsan and Hyeonpung, it was a place of great military significance. The name was changed from 'Hwawangsanseong Fortress' to 'Hwawangsanseong Fortress, Changnyeong' (announced 28 July 2011).

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Changnyeong, Gyeongnam

Designation

Historic Site · 사적