Byeolmang Fortress Site

This is a coastal hill fortress of the early Joseon period, built by connecting two low, shoreside peaks with a stone wall to block Japanese raiders who invaded along the coast by way of Namyang Bay. Records concerning the establishment of manhobu (naval garrison commands) in coastal regions frequently raided by Japanese pirates indicate that a naval garrison command was stationed here; when the tidal flats advanced and made it difficult for ships to enter and leave, the garrison was moved to Yeongjongpo in Incheon, but once the sea deepened again and ships could once more come and go, the garrison was reinstated at this site. Old records give the fortress's dimensions as 1,040 m in circumference and 1.2–2.1 m in height, but most of it was destroyed during the Korean War and it was restored in 1988. Its present dimensions are 225 m in length and 1.45 m in height. The outer face of the wall is built of stone stacked nearly vertically, while the inner face consists of gently packed earth. On the level ground stands a site believed to have been the garrison quarters, and fragments of celadon and other ceramics have been excavated from within the fortress. Nearby are Mongnaeri Fortress and Gunja Fortress, showing that together they formed a strategic stronghold defending Namyang Bay on the west coast.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Ansan, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물