Temporary Palace at Namhansanseong Fortress (Historic Site)A temporary palace, called a haenggung in Korean, was used by Joseon’s kings as a temporary residence whenever they had to travel outside the royal capital. Built in 1625, the fourth year of the reign of King Injo of Joseon, the temporary palace at Namhansanseong Fortress was designed to serve as the provisional capital during times of emergency, such as war or rebellion, until reinforcements arrived. Indeed, during the Qing invasion of Joseon in 1636, King Injo occupied this temporary palace for forty-seven days. Later kings, including Sukjong, Yeongjo, Jeongjo, Cheoljong, and Gojong, stopped here on their way to visit the tombs of their predecessors in Yeoju and Icheon, etc. The Temporary Palace was preserved well until 1909, but it was badly damaged by the Japanese authorities during the Japanese colonial period. The first archaeological surveys of this were conducted in 1999, and Naehaengjeon Hall, the main building of the upper palace, was rebuilt in 2002, while Jwajeon Shrine at the Temporary Palace was rebuilt in 2004.

Naehaengjeon Hall Naehaengjeon Hall, the king’s living quarters at the upper palace, was built in 1624, the second year of the reign of King Injo. It measures 28 kan (a unit of measurement referring to the distance between two columns) in total, consisting of seven kan at the front and four kan at the sides. Of which three kan in the center is daecheong (main floored room), two kan at each side are ondol (under-the-floor heating system) room and maru (wooden-floored) room, and three sides except daecheong are toekan (a hall between two rooms?). The adoption of the double-wing bracketing system gives Naehaengjeon Hall a very formal and elegant appearance. The stylobate was built with three layers of rectangular stones to compensate for the steep slope and flat, narrow terrain, while also lending it a majestic appearance and a sense of stability. In particular, the hall’s half-hipped roof features roof tiles with a dragon and phoenix design. The current Naehaengjeon Hall was built in 2002.

Oehaengjeon Hall Oehaengjeon Hall of the lower palace was built in 1625, the third year of the reign of King Injo. It is the same size as Naehaengjeon Hall (28 kan in total, i.e. seven kan at the front and four kan at the sides), although its floor area is smaller than that of Naehaengjeon Hall, and it was built on ground about 6 meters lower than Naehaengjeon. Oehaengjeon Hall was the place where King Injo held a Hogwe, or feast, for soldiers during the Qing invasion of Joseon (1636-1637). According to a historic record, a pillar of Oehaengjeon Hall was hit by one of Qing’s red barbarian cannons (Hongyipao) positioned in Hanbong. Before the construction of Jwaseungdang Hall, Oehaengjeon Hall was used as the office of the magistrate of Gwangju. The current building was built in 2010, when artifacts related to the Unified Silla period were discovered during excavation work, and some building sites and a pile of roof tiles are still preserved at the site.

Hannamnu PavilionHannamnu Pavilion is the outer gate of the Temporary Palace, which consisted of an upper palace and a lower palace, at Namhansanseong Fortress. It was built in 1798, the 22nd year of the reign of King Jeongjo, by the magistrate of Gwangju Hong Eok, and destroyed in the early twentieth century, and it was not rebuilt until 2011, based on the photo taken by French consul Hippolyte Frandin. The name “Hannamnu” means “Pavilion to the South of the Hangang River.”

Jwaseungdang HallJwaseungdang Hall, located outside the wall to the north of Naehaengjeon Hall of the upper palace, was an office building of the Gwangju Magistrate that was built by Sim Sang-gyu (Gwangju Magistrate) in 1817, the 17th year of the reign of King Sunjo. There are two gates: Jwasukmun Gate (the left gate in the yard), which is linked via a wooden bridge to the area outside the northern wall, and Euijeongmun Gate (right gate), which is connected to the back of the lower palace. The hall’s name, “Jwaseung”, loosely means that “one can win without fighting even while sitting down.” During the excavation and investigation of the site, it was confirmed that the foundation of the building has been well preserved. The current building, measuring six kan at the front and three kan at the sides, has been fully restored with a half-hipped roof fitted with a double-layered eaves.

Iljanggak HallLocated at the lower palace of the Temporary Palace, Iljanggak Hall was used by the magistrate of Gwangju. Its name originates from the other name of Cheongnyangsan Mountain, Iljangsan, where the Sueojangdae Command Post is located. As one of various buildings located outside the internal wall of the lower palace, it was built in 1829, the 29th year of the reign of King Seonjo, by Gwangju Magistrate Yi Ji-yeon. Iljanggak Hall is not visible in the photo taken in the 1900s, but it is believed to have been demolished when the government office of Gwangju County was pulled down at the site of the Temporary Palace at Namhansanseong. During the excavation and investigation, part of the building site was identified, and the current building was built in 2010.

Jeongjeon ShrineJeongjeon Shrine, also known as Taemyo, is the main shrine containing the royal memorial tablets of the Joseon dynasty. The memorial tablets of the four previous kings of the then king, as well as those of kings and queens who performed meritorious deeds, are housed at the shrine and ancestral services are held there.

Yeongnyeongjeon ShrineYeongnyeonjeon Shrine houses the memorial tablets of the four kings who preceded King Taejo and those of the kings and queens that are not housed in Jeongjeon Shrine. The ancestral ceremony of Yeongnyeonjeon is performed one level lower than that of Jeongjeon.

Iwijeong PavilionRebuilt in 2010, Iwijeong Pavilion is located in the garden behind Jwaseungdang Hall. It was originally built for archery practice by Gwangju Magistrate Sim Sang-gyu in 1817, the 17th year of the reign of King Sunjo. The inscription (rubbing copy) on the plaque of Iwijeonggi (Iwijeong Record), which was composed by Sim Sang-gyu and written by Kim Jeong-hui (art name: Chusa) when the pavilion was built, can be still seen in A Gazetteer of South Hanseong. The pavilion’s name, Iwi, means that “one can overwhelm the world not just with a bow and arrows, but also with benevolence and loyalty.”