Gungnae (Korean) or Guonei (Mandarin) City was the capital of the ancient Korean kingdom of

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...

, which was located in Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula. The perimeter of its outer fortress measures 2,686m. It is located in present day

Ji'an Ji'an () is a prefecture-level city situated in the central region of Jiangxi province of the People's Republic of China while bordering Hunan province to the west. It has an area of and as of the 2020 census, had a population of 4,469,176, of ...

city,

Jilin Jilin (; alternately romanized as Kirin or Chilin) is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Its capital and largest city is Changchun. Jilin borders North Korea (Rasŏn, North Hamgyong, Ryanggang and Chagang) and Russia (Prim ...

province, northeast China. Because of its historical importance and exceptional architecture, Gungnae was designated as a UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 2004. It is part of the

Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom The Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom is an UNESCO World Heritage Site which includes a number of archaeological sites currently in Ji'an, Jilin Province and Huanren, Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Goguryeo (or Kogury ...

World Heritage Site, together with nearby

Hwando Hwando () is a mountain fortress of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, built to protect Goguryeo's second capital, Gungnae. It is located in present-day Ji'an city of the province of Jilin, China. The fortress is located 2.5 km west of Ji'an, ...

Mountain City and the Onyeosan City, in modern

northeast China Northeast China or Northeastern China () is a geographical region of China, which is often referred to as "Manchuria" or "Inner Manchuria" by surrounding countries and the West. It usually corresponds specifically to the three provinces east of t ...

History

Gungnae was chosen to become the capital city by the ruler, Yuri during the 10th month of the year 3 AD. The city was sacked several times until the rise of the 19th ruler,

Gwanggaeto the Great Gwanggaeto the Great (374–413, r. 391–413) was the nineteenth monarch of Goguryeo. His full posthumous name means "Entombed in ''Gukgangsang'', Broad Expander of Domain, Peacemaker, Supreme King", sometimes abbreviated to ''Hotaewang'' ...

, who greatly expanded

's territory and made it a formidable power in northeast Asia. When King Gwanggaeto died in 413, his son,

Jangsu of Goguryeo Jangsu of Goguryeo (394–491, r. 413–491) was the 20th monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was born in 394 as the eldest son of Gwanggaeto. He became the crown prince in 408, and upon his father's death in ...

, inherited the throne and moved the capital down to

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...

in 427. The city played a central role of the kingdom after the power transfer.Ho-tae Cheon, 《The Dreams of the Living and Hopes of the Dead:Goguryeo Tomb Murals》, Seoul National University Press, 2007. p.4, p.10 Just before the fall of Goguryeo, Gungnae City fell to the

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

- Tang Chinese alliance when General

Yeon Namsaeng Yeon Namsaeng (연남생, 淵男生) (634–679) was the eldest son of the Goguryeo '' Dae Magniji'' (대막리지, 大莫離支; highest ranking official or dictator; "prime minister") Yeon Gaesomun (603?-665). In 665, Yeon Namsaeng succeeded hi ...

, son of

Yeon Gaesomun Yeon GaesomunSome Chinese and Korean sources stated that his surname was Yeongae () and personal name was Somun (), but the majority of sources suggest a one-syllable surname and a three-syllable personal name. (594–666) was a powerful militar ...

, surrendered the city in 666. Goguryeo fell in 668 when the Tang army captured Pyongyang and took King Bojang and

Yeon Namgeon Yeon Namgeon (淵男建, 연남건) (635 ~ ? 연개소문의 맏아들인 연남생이 634년에 탄생했고 막내아들인 연남산이 639년 출생했으므로 적어도 1년 이상 차이가 난다.) was the second son of the Goguryeo mil ...

into custody.Northeast History Foundation, "Journal of Northeast Asian History" Vol.4 1-2. 2007. p.181

Gallery

File:Statues and Gungnae Fortress (GuoNei Fortress).JPG, Modern statues in the ruins File:Stretch of Gungnae Fortress Wall (GuoNei Fortress).JPG, City wall File:Corner of Gungnae Fortress (GuoNei Fortress).JPG, A corner of the ruins

References

{{Jilin topics Capitals of former nations Archaeological sites in China Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Jilin Ancient Korean cities Former capitals of Korea World Heritage Sites in China Goguryeo fortresses