Introduction to Sungnyemun Gate

Sungnyemun Gate is located at No. 9, Namdaemun-ro 4th Street, Jung-gu, Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It is South Korea’s No. 1 national treasure and is generally called Namdaemun. The South Gate is the largest among many city gates. There is an arched entrance in the center of the stone steps made of smooth boulders. There are pillars and roofs on the stone steps, which are divided into upper and lower floors. There are also doors on the east and west sides that can communicate with each other. There are green lawns on both sides of the stage, marking the traces of the city wall that no longer exists. At the same time, it is close to the civilian Namdaemun Market, which is an important landmark in Seoul and South Korea. Sungnyemun Gate was the largest of the four gates in Seoul in the early years. It is also the oldest remaining wooden building in Seoul. It was first completed in 1398 during the Lee Dynasty's Joseon Dynasty, and underwent major renovations in 1448. In 1908, the colonial government during the Japanese occupation demolished the city wall to "improve transportation," leaving only the city gate. During the Korean War, South Gate was damaged by war, and restoration projects were carried out in 1962.

Unlike other gates, the plaque of Sungnyemun has the words "Sungnyemun" written vertically. When King Taejo (1335-1408) built the capital, he thought that Ansan or Gwanaksan Mountain in Seoul looked too hot from Feng Shui and thought it could spread to the capital or even Gyeongbokgung Palace, causing a fire. The word "rite" in Sungnyemun Gate belongs to fire in the five elements of yin and yang. If it is placed vertically with the word "Chong", it looks like a roaring flame. At that time, it was believed that fire could overcome the fire of Guanyue Mountain, so the plaque was written vertically. The inscription on the plaque of Sungnyemun Gate is both solemn and elegant, powerful and beautiful. This is a very famous book written by Rangning Dajun (1394-1462), the eldest son of Emperor Taizong (1367-1422). Sungnyemun Gate is located in the middle of the road, so tourists cannot see it up close, but it is easy to see it from a car or on the roadside. Especially at night, the mercury lamp under the city gate illuminates the south gate, and you can appreciate its beauty even more.

After the first establishment in the 7th year of Taejo (1398), extensive construction was carried out in the 30th year of Sejong (1448). Later, when the Imjin Japanese Rebellion and Byeongja Rebellion occurred, the south gate was not damaged. In 1962, it was designated as the No. 1 National Treasure in accordance with the Cultural Properties Protection Act. The floor plan of the building has 5 front rooms and 2 side rooms on both the upper and lower floors. The lower floor inside the building is hauni, except for the spring well floor in the upper center room, the other rooms have earth floors, and the upper floors have wooden floors. There are several opinions about the person who wrote the plaque, but according to "Zhifeng Leishuo", it is recorded that Lord Ning wrote it. The reason why the plaque of Byeonmun is written horizontally and Sungnyemun is written vertically is because the two characters of "Sungrye" mean sparks, in order to suppress the fire of Gwanaksan Mountain opposite Gyeongbokgung Palace. Namdaemun is the largest among many city gates. It is a typical multi-pack style building and uses solid wooden construction techniques. It is one of the important buildings in the history of Korean architecture.

At around 8:50 pm on February 10, 2008, a fire broke out at Sungnyemun Gate, National Treasure No. 1. The fire started in the wooden pavilion on the second floor of Sungnyemun Gate. The fire brigade initially believed that the fire was caused by a leakage in the lighting device. However, they later discovered that there were no wires or other devices around the two-story wooden pavilion, so it is now suspected that the fire was caused by arson. It continued to burn for 5 hours. At around 2 a.m. on February 11, the first and second floor pavilions of Sungnyemun collapsed and turned into ashes. During the renovation of Sungnyemun Gate, the handover ceremony of Sungnyemun Gate and Sungnyemun Honor Guard will be closed for viewing. The restoration project is expected to take 2 to 3 years.