The Eight Gates of Seoul are eight historical gates that were located in the Fortress Wall of

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

, which surrounded the city in the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

. Six of these gates exist today (2018). All eight gates were originally built between 1396 and 1398.

Introduction

The Eight Gates were based roughly in the four cardinal and four intermediate directions of the compass. Of the eight gates, the North, South, East, and West were known as the “Four Great Gates” (사대문), while the Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest gates were known as the “Four Small Gates” (사소문). Of the eight gates, two (West and Southwest) no longer exist. Memorials are currently placed roughly where the West and Southwest gates once stood (July 2012). There has been discussion and announcements about rebuilding the West Gate, but no construction has yet been undertaken (as of July 2012) for this gate. On February 10, 2008, the South Gate was severely damaged in a

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...

set by an arsonist. The gate was rebuilt over five years, and reopened to the public on May 4, 2013. This gate has the designation of National Treasure No. 1 of South Korea. Of the eight gates, the South and East gates are the largest, and both are located in busy market areas (Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market, respectively). Besides these eight cardinal gates, many other gates with important histories exist in Seoul, such as

Gwanghwamun Gwanghwamun () is the main and largest gate of Gyeongbok Palace, in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is located at a three-way intersection at the northern end of Sejongno. As a landmark and symbol of Seoul's long history as the capital city dur ...

, the main gate of

Gyeongbokgung Palace Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the ''Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...

; Daehanmun, the main gate of

Deoksugung Palace Deoksugung, also known as Gyeongun-gung, Deoksugung Palace, or Deoksu Palace, is a walled compound of palaces in Seoul that was inhabited by members of Korea's Royal Family during the Joseon monarchy until the annexation of Korea by Japan ...

; Dongnimmun, also known as

Independence Gate Dongnimmun () or Independence Gate is a memorial gate at Seoul, built by Soh Jaipil in late 19th century, as a symbol of Korea's commitment to independence around the world. It is designated as Historic Sites of South Korea in 1963, and reloc ...

; and the remnants of

Yeongeunmun The Yeongeunmun () or Yeongeunmun Gate is a historical structure once located in the Joseon Dynasty. Since it was a symbol of China's diplomatic influence on the Joseon, the Gaehwa Party of the Joseon government intentionally demolished it in Fe ...

, located next to Dongnimmun in Seoul's

Seodaemun Independence Park Seodaemun Independence Park ( ko, 서대문독립공원) is an educational and cultural park located in Hyunjeo-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The park contains various monuments and buildings, most notably the Seodaemun Prison Museum. T ...

Names of the Gates

The eight gates have had various names over the centuries, and may still be referenced by different names. The charts below give the most common names for the gates. Official names and spellings are taken from signage currently found at and on the gates themselves. Note that

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, ...

is read right-to-left at times, and left-to right at other times. Thus, the character for "gate" (''mun'', 門) may appear either on the left or right side of actual signboards.

The Four Great Gates

The Four Small Gates

Images of the Gates

Notes

Citations

References

*Heunginjimun: https://web.archive.org/web/20120611045420/http://www.exploringkorea.com/heunginjimun-gate/ Retrieved 2012.06-16. *Sukjeongmun: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264623 Retrieved 2012-06-16. *Sungnyemun (South gate): http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264257 Retrieved 2012-06-16. *Changuimun: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1035096 Retrieved 2012-06-16. *Hyehwamun: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1061567 Retrieved 2012-06-16. *Gwanghuimun: https://web.archive.org/web/20120611045410/http://www.exploringkorea.com/gwanghuimun-gate/ Retrieved 2012-06-16. *Donuimun: http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/10/22/2009102200725.html Retrieved 2012-06-16. *Translations: http://www.koreaaward.com/kor/index.php?mid=news_today&document_srl=5616 Retrieved 2012.06.16. {{DEFAULTSORT:Eight Gates of Seoul, The Buildings and structures completed in 1398 Gates in Korea Gates in South Korea Buildings and structures in Seoul Tourist attractions in Seoul History of Seoul