On the northeast side of Hanyangdoseong, Seoul City Wall, there is a fortress called Tangchundaeseong outside Changuimun (Gate). Also known as Yeonyungdaeseong in the past, this fortress was built in between Hanyangdoseong and Bukhansanseong (Fortress) after the latter was constructed on the northern outskirts of the capital in the late Joseon period.
The construction of Tangchundaeseong is significant in that it was designed to strengthen the capital’s defence by establishing a robust defence system that linked Hanyangdoseong with Bukhansanseong. However, Tangchundaeseong was not properly maintained during the Japanese colonial period. After parts of the structure were damaged or washed away during a flood in the early 1920s, the fortress was left in a state of abandonment, and it gradually faded from people’s memories. Construction work to repair and restore the fortress was carried out in the 1970s but mainly focused on the gates, leaving many areas of the fortress itself in disrepair. Nevertheless, as a structure built in line with natural mountain ridges, Tangchundaeseong mostly remains intact in its original form. This makes it a valuable piece of heritage that demonstrates the Korean tradition of taking advantage of natural topography and terrain in fortress construction. This exhibition takes a look back on Joseon’s capital defence system through the value and periodic changes of Tangchundaeseong.