Restoration of Namhansanseong Fortress, a step towards World Heritage listing (Published May 25, 2012)

Gyeonggi Province held a ceremony celebrating completion of the restoration work on May 24^th.

◇ The unveiling ceremony commemorating the restoration of the palace at Namhansanseong Fortress ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang

A temporary palace situated on the grounds of Namhansanseong Fortress in Gyeonggi Province has been reborn following extensive restoration work, and steps have been taken towards having it listed as a World Cultural Heritage site.

The province completed its project to restore the former palace site at Namhansanseong Fortress and held the Nakseonggoyuje (inauguration ceremony) on May 24^th to commemorate the occasion.

The palace at Namhansanseong was a temporary palace built during the reign of King Onjo of the Baekje Kingdom; however, only the site remained after the Japanese occupation of Korea. The temples and other cultural assets of the palace were destroyed when the Japanese government ordered military dissolution in 1907. The ceremony was held to celebrate the recent completion of the restoration of these cultural heritage assets.

The ceremony was held following the unveiling of a plaque. Twenty government officials and 3,000 people including those involved in the project and local citizens attended the ceremony alongside Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo, Gyeonggi Provincial Council Chairman Huh Jae-an, and International Council on Monuments and Sites Executive Committee Member Lee Hye-eun.

Held in the newly restored palace, the ceremonial events (Nakseongyeon) included the presentation of the historical ‘Hwaseong seongyeok uigwe, a record of royal protocol concerning the construction of Namhansanseong Fortress, which was built during the reign of King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty. The records were of great help in the restoration process.

About 3.2 million people visit Namhansanseong Fortress annually, although it was no more than an ancient historic site overgrown with weeds before the province embarked on the reconstruction program in 2002. The work began with the restoration of the 73.5-kan halls of Naehaengjeon, Jwaseungdang, Jaedeokdang and Hanggak of the Sanggwol (Chimjeon, upper palace). Then, in 2004, the 27-kan Jwajeon was restored and the additional 155-kan halls of Oehaengjeon, Iljanggak, Hannamru, and Hanggak, as well as Unified Silla sites in the Hagwol (Jeongjeon, lower palace) were rebuilt in 2010. Upon completing the decorative touches to the buildings in the lower palace and constructing the information and exhibition facilities, the whole restoration project came to fruition after ten years and an investment of KRW 21.5 billion.
◇ Ceremony commemorating the completion of the palace area restoration work. ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang

With the aim of having the restored Namhansanseong Fortress registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the province plans to form the Namhansanseong Fortress World Heritage Listing Committee, consisting of 33 members.

Namhansanseong Fortress was officially registered on the provisional list of World Cultural Heritage sites by UNESCO on January 10, 2010; one year later, on February 8, 2011, the Cultural Heritage Administration designated Namhansanseong Fortress for registration, prioritizing it over twelve other Korean cultural heritage sites already on the provisional list. The registration application process has been ongoing for two years, and the submission to UNESCO is planned for January 2013. A final decision on its registration is expected in June 2014.

Governor Kim Moon-soo said, “This ceremony is being held to commemorate the restoration of the palace at Namhansanseong Fortress, and at the same time, to remind ourselves of the significance of national security and defense.” He added, “As Namhansanseong Fortress is registered on the provisional list of World Cultural Heritage sites, Gyeonggi Province will do its best to protect and preserve it.”

Namhansanseong Fortress is open to the public free of charge during the ceremonial period from May 24 to 28. Additionally, a number of free traditional cultural performances will be staged including a Pungnyu Music Concert (26^th), Gwangjiwon Nongak (farmers’ music, 27^th), and a traditional martial arts demonstration. The palace will be open every day from 10am to 5pm except Mondays, and visitors can take one of the free guided tours (in Korean) that run four times per day during the week and eight times daily at weekends.

Furthermore, the province is planning to introduce both five-day schooling and weekend educational programs using the cultural assets of Namhansanseong Fortress.
◇ Restored palace at Namhansanseong Fortress ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang

ⓒ G-News Plus | Im Se-jeen sejeenee@kg21.net

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