Cheongdo Painting Anti-Western Stele

A cheokhwabi, or anti-Western stele, is a monument that 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, ordered erected along major roads in Seoul and across the country, to reject Westerners and warn the people against their aggression; this stele is one of them. Standing within a square enclosure of long stones joined together, it has a simple structure without a capstone. Its inscription carries a strongly worded warning: "When the Western barbarians invade, not to fight is to make peace with them, and to argue for peace is to sell the nation; let this be a warning to ten thousand generations of descendants." The steles were erected simultaneously across the country in 1871, the eighth year of Emperor Gojong. After the Imo Incident of 1882, the 19th year of Emperor Gojong, and the abduction of the Daewongun to Qing China, Joseon opened exchanges with countries around the world and most of the steles were removed; but a few, like this one, survive here and there, conveying the historical significance they embody.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료