Eonyangcheonjeolliseong Fortress

Eonyangcheonjeolliseong is a stone hill fortress of the "teomoe-sik" type (a fortress encircling the upper slopes of a hill), built along the ridge line of the 297 m Sanseongsan Mountain, roughly eight-tenths of the way up, in Myeongchon-ri, Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju. Pottery sherds from the Three Kingdoms period have been excavated within the fortress, suggesting it was built sometime between the Three Kingdoms period and the Joseon period, mainly to guard against raids by Japanese pirates. The Eonyangeupji (Gazetteer of Eonyang) records that the fortress measured 2,000 cheok (a traditional unit of length) in circumference and contained a well inside, and that it was a place where righteous army volunteers were stationed during the Imjin War (the Japanese invasions of Korea, 1592–1598). This shows that the fortress carries great significance for the righteous army activities of the Eonyang region during that war. The wall surviving today measures 740 m in circumference, 2.8 m in height, and 2.7–3.2 m in width. In cross-section the wall is trapezoidal and was built nearly vertical; the south-eastern section was built using the naetak technique, piling stone only on the outer face, while the north-western section used the hyeopchuk technique, building up both the inner and outer faces with stone. Cornerstones found on the summit and in the north-eastern area suggest that a building once stood there. A water outlet (sugu) identified in the northern wall slopes outward from the fortress. The well site survives well in the western part of the fortress interior and still holds water today. Local people also call this fortress "Siru Fortress", because the shape of the mountain resembles an upturned siru, a traditional steamer for making rice cakes; it is also known as "Gwabuseong" ("Widow's Fortress"). It is said to have been given this name because the righteous army volunteers stationed here fought the Japanese forces and died heroically during the Imjin War, leaving only their wives behind.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Ulju, Ulsan

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물