Wandu Mountain City
Wandu Mountain City | |||||||||
Ruins of a watchtower at Wandu Mountain City | |||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||
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Chinese | 丸都山城 | ||||||||
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Korean name | |||||||||
Hangul | 환도산성 | ||||||||
Hanja | 丸都山城 | ||||||||
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Wandu, called Hwando in Korean, was the second capital of the Goguryeo kingdom. The remains of the mountain fortress are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom. It is located 2.5 kilometers west of Ji'an, Jilin province, China, near the North Korean border.
History
- "On October of the 22nd year (of Yuri of Goguryeo), the Yuri King moved the capital to Gungnae Fortress, and built the Wina Rock fortress".[1] Since the 1st year of Yuri of Goguryeo is 19 BC, the 22nd year is 3 AD. Gungnae Fortress was a fortress on Yalu River's plain, while "Wina Rocks fortress" (Hangul: 위나암성, Hanja: 尉那巖城) was a fortified city in the mountain which was later renamed to Hwando by Sansang of Goguryeo.
- "On February of the 2nd year (of Sansang of Goguryeo), Hwando City was built". "On October (of the 13th year of Sansang of Goguryeo), the Sansang King moved the capital to Hwando".[2]). Since the 1st year of Sansang of Goguryeo is 197 AD, the 2nd year is 198 and the 13th year is 209.
As Gogeryeo consolidated its power, it proceeded to act to conquer the territories on the Korean peninsula which were under Chinese rule.[3] Goguryeo initiated the Goguryeo–Wei Wars in 242, trying to cut off Chinese access to its territories in Korea by attempting to take a Chinese fort. However, the Chinese Wei state responded by invading and defeated Goguryeo. Hwando was destroyed in revenge by the Chinese Wei forces in 244.[4]
Goguryeo ended China's rule on the Korean peninsula by conquering Lelang in 313. However, Goguryeo faced devastation by the Murong Xianbei people who attacked Goguryeo. Hwando was destroyed again by them in 341, and the Xianbei used the Goguryeo people for slave labor. Puyŏ was also destroyed by the Xianbei in 346, the Korean peninsula also became subject to Xianbei migration.[5][6]
Gallery
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Entrance plaque
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Detail of a wall
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Wall snaking up incline at Wandu
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Remains of a guard tower
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View of ShanChengXia Nobility Cemetery from Wandu
See also
References
- ↑ Volume 13(page 18) of Samguk Sagi
- ↑ Volume 16(pages 21 and 23) of Samguk Sagi
- ↑ Charles Roger Tennant (1996). A history of Korea (illustrated ed.). Kegan Paul International. p. 22. ISBN 0-7103-0532-X.
capital on the middle reaches of the Yalu near the modern Chinese town of Ji'an, calling it 'Hwando'. By developing both their iron weapons and their political organization, they had reached a stage where in the turmoil that accompanied the break-up of the Han empire they were able to threaten the Chinese colonies now under the nominal control of the
- ↑ Charles Roger Tennant (1996). A history of Korea (illustrated ed.). Kegan Paul International. p. 22. ISBN 0-7103-0532-X.
Wei. In 242, under King Tongch'ŏn, they attacked a Chinese fortress near the mouth of the Yalu in an attempt to cut the land route across Liao, in return for which the Wei invaded them in 244 and sacked Hwando.
- ↑ Charles Roger Tennant (1996). A history of Korea (illustrated ed.). Kegan Paul International. p. 22. ISBN 0-7103-0532-X.
Soon after, the Wei fell to the Jin and Koguryŏ grew stronger, until in 313 they finally succeeded in occupying Lelang and bringing to an end the 400 years of China's presence in the peninsula, a period sufficient to ensure that for the next 1,500 it would remain firmly within the sphere of its culture. After the fall of the Jin in 316, the proto-Mongol Xianbei occupied the North of China, of which the Murong clan took the Shandong area, moved up to the Liao, and in 341 sacked and burned the Koguryŏ capital at Hwando. They took away some thousands of prisoners to provive cheap labour to build more walls of their own, and in 346 went on to wreak even greater destruction on Puyŏ, hastening what seems to have been a continuing migration of its people into the north-eastern area of the peninsula, but Koguryŏ, though temporarily weakened, would soon
- ↑ Charles Roger Tennant (1996). A history of Korea (illustrated ed.). Kegan Paul International. p. 22. ISBN 0-7103-0532-X.
Soon after, the Wei fell to the Jin and Koguryŏ grew stronger, until in 313 they finally succeeded in occupying Lelang and bringing to an end the 400 years of China's presence in the peninsula, a period sufficient to ensure that for the next 1,500 it would remain firmly within the sphere of its culture. After the fall of the Jin in 316, the proto-Mongol Xianbei occupied the North of China, of which the Murong clan took the Shandong area, moved up to the Liao, and in 341 sacked and burned the Koguryŏ capital at Hwando. They took away some thousands of prisoners to provive cheap labour to build more walls of their own, and in 346 went on to wreak even greater destruction on Puyŏ, hastening what seems to have been a continuing migration of its people into the north-eastern area of the peninsula, but Koguryŏ, though temporarily weakened, would soon
Coordinates: 41°09′56″N 126°09′31″E / 41.1656°N 126.1586°E