Anti-Western Stele, Yangsan

The Anti-Western stele was erected on the order of Heungseon Daewongun, who led Joseon to victory over the French invasion of 1866 and the American invasion of 1871 during the reign of Emperor Gojong; he had such steles set up at important locations across the country to reject Western powers and to make this known to all the people. The stele is of simple form, cut from a squared stone with its corners trimmed off. Carved on it in bold characters is the inscription: "When the Western barbarians invade, not to fight is to make peace, and to argue for peace is to sell the country." Beside this, smaller characters are also carved, reading: "We warn our descendants for ten thousand generations: made in the byeongin year, erected in the sinmi year." The steles were erected across the country in 1871, the eighth year of Gojong's reign, but after the Imo Incident of 1882, the 19th year of Gojong, when the Daewongun was abducted to Qing China and the country's ports were subsequently opened, most of the steles were removed; only a few, such as this one, survive here and there.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yangsan, Gyeongnam

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산