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| Sonjuk Bridge | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 선죽교 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | 善竹橋 |
| Revised Romanization | Seonjukgyo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sŏnjukkyo |
Sŏnjuk Bridge is a Koryo-dynasty stone bridge located in Kaesong, North Korea. Built in 1290, it is famous as the place where famed Confucian scholar and statesman Chŏng Mong-ju was assassinated, allegedly on the orders of the Yi Pang-wŏn, son of the first king of the Joseon Dynasty, Yi Sŏng-gye. It is also the bridge on which the forces of Yi Bang-won (later King Taejong) confronted the forces of Yi Bang-gan during the Second Princes' Rebellion.
The bridge was closed to all traffic in 1780 and has since been a national monument.
It is 8.35m long and 3.36m wide. It was originally named the Sonji Bridge, but was renamed Sonjuk Bridge after the assassination of Chŏng Mong-ju because bamboo grew where he was killed (juk being the Korean word for bamboo).
Assassination of Chŏng Mong-ju
A famously loyal advisor to the king of Goryeo, Chŏng was a staunch political opponent of Yi Sŏng-gye. On his way home after a party held for him by the future king, he was ambushed by five men on the bridge and brutally murdered with an iron hammer. Later canonized as a Korean sage, and revered even by Joseon monarchs, Chŏng's death came to symbolize unwavering loyalty. A brown spot on one of the stones is said to be Chŏng's bloodstain, and to become red when it rains. A famous poem of his ("known as "Song of a Loyal Heart") records his thoughts:
Even if I may die, die a hundred times,
Even if my skeleton may become dust and dirt,
And whether my spirit may be there or not,
My single-hearted loyalty to my lord will not change.
Pyochung Pavilion
Built during the Joseon dynasty, this small wooden structure houses two enormous stone stele mounted on the backs of lion-turtles, one erected in 1740 by King Yeongjo and the other by King Gojong in 1872. Both commemorate Chŏng Mong-ju's assassination, and praise his loyalty to the Goryeo dynasty.
See also
References
- 황, 학주, "선죽교 (善竹橋) Seonjuk Bridge", 한국민족문화대백과사전 (in Korean), Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2024-03-24
- KCNA (2003–2014). World Cultural Heritage-Historical Relics in Kaesong. Korea Computer Center in DPRKorea & Foreign Languages Publishing House. Event occurs at 07:51. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- McCann, David (2000). A Brief History of Korean Literature to the Nineteenth Century. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-50574-1.
| Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong | |
|---|---|
| World Heritage Site in North Korea | |
37°58′54.120″N 126°30′29.160″E / 37.98170000°N 126.50810000°E / 37.98170000; 126.50810000
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