Sunheung Anti-Western Stele

An anti-Western stele (cheokhwabi) is a monument that Heungseon Daewongun, who had led the country to victory in the French and American incursions, ordered erected along major roads in Seoul and throughout the country, in order to reject Westerners and warn the people against foreign invasion. This stele is one of those monuments. It consists of a stele body set upon a broad square base stone. It originally stood within the grounds of Sunheung Elementary School but was moved to its present location in 1990. The stele was one of a set erected simultaneously across the country in 1871, the 8th year of Emperor Gojong's reign. After Heungseon Daewongun was abducted to the Russian legation and Korea began exchanges with countries around the world, most of these anti-Western steles were taken down. The handful that remain in various places, including this one, serve as a renewed reminder of the spirit of self-determination held by the Korean people in earlier times.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료