Sinmumun
| Sinmumun | |
|---|---|
 The gate (2007) | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 37°35′01″N 126°58′32″E / 37.5835°N 126.9755°E |
| Completed | 1433 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 신무문 |
| Hanja | 神武門 |
| RR | Sinmumun |
| MR | Sinmumun |
Sinmumun (Korean: 신무문; Hanja: 神武門; lit. Black Turtle-Snake Gate[1]) is the north gate of the palace Gyeongbokgung in Seoul, South Korea. It was used generally by military personnel.[2] The gate has generally seen little use, especially in comparison to the other gates. It was often closed.[1]
It was built in 1433.[3][4][5] Sejong the Great decided to construct the gate because of a traditional belief that palaces should have four large gates; there were only three at the time.[2][4][1] Sinmumun was named in 1475;[4][1] it is named for a mythical Chinese guardian of the north, the Black Turtle-Snake. That guardian is also painted on the ceiling of the gate.[1] After being destroyed in 1592 during the Imjin War, the gate was rebuilt in 1865.[6][1] This version of the gate has persisted to the present.[7] The Gojong-era reconstruction saw the gate becoming the entrance to Gyeongmudae, the northern gardens of the palace.[1] Part of the gate's walls collapsed during the colonial period, although they were repaired.[8] It was opened to the public in 1954, but was closed after the May 16 coup of 1961 for security reasons (it is close to the Blue House and to the former military facilities in the palace). It was reopened for public use in 2006[9] or 2007. It was the final area of the palace to reopen to the public.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Seoul Historiography Institute 2022b, p. 114.
- ^ a b Cultural Heritage Administration 2009, pp. 104–105.
- ^ 이강근 2007, p. 37.
- ^ a b c Cultural Heritage Administration 2020, p. 131.
- ^ 임석재 2019, p. 82.
- ^ Kim 1997, p. 67.
- ^ Cultural Heritage Administration 2009, p. 105.
- ^ a b Seoul Historiography Institute 2022b, p. 115.
- ^ 김윤종 (2006-09-29). 경복궁 신무문·집옥재 개방 [Gyeongbokgung's Sinmumun and Jibokjae open]. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean).
Sources
[edit]- 경복궁 2차: 복원기본계획 조정용역 [Gyeongbokgung No. 2: Basic Restoration Plan] (in Korean). Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center. December 2020.
- 경복궁 변천사 (上) [History of Gyeongbokgung's Changes (Vol. 1)] (in Korean). Cultural Heritage Administration. August 2007.
- 이강근. "창건이후의 변천과정 고찰". In Cultural Heritage Administration (2007).
- 이미지로 읽는 근대 서울 [Reading Modern Seoul Through Images] (in Korean). Vol. 1. 궁궐의 훼철과 박람회. Seoul Historiography Institute. October 30, 2022. ISBN 9791160711462.
- 조선시대 궁궐 용어해설 [Glossary of Joseon-era Palaces] (in Korean). Cultural Heritage Administration. 2009-12-07. ISBN 978-89-6325-247-6.
- 임석재 (2019-12-10). 예(禮)로 지은 경복궁: 동양 미학으로 읽다 [Gyeongbokgung, Built with Conscientiousness: An Eastern Art Perspective] (in Korean). 인물과사상사. ISBN 978-89-5906-551-6.
- Kim, Chang-Jun (1997-12-30). "일제 강점기의 경복궁(景福宮)훼손과 복원사업" [The Demolition of Gyeongbokgung During the Colonial Period and its Restoration]. Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science (in Korean). 30: 63–79. ISSN 3022-8085 – via koreascience.or.kr.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Sinmumun at Wikimedia Commons
