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Namdaemun

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37°33′35″N 126°58′31″E / 37.55972°N 126.97528°E / 37.55972; 126.97528

Sungnyemun
Sungnyemun on July 17, 2007.
Korean name
Hangul숭례문/남대문
Hanja崇禮門/南大門
Revised RomanizationSungnyemun/Namdaemun
McCune–ReischauerSungnyemun/Namdaemun

Sungnyemun or Namdaemun is an historic gate located in the heart of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The landmark is officially called Sungnyemun (Korean: 숭례문; Hanja: 崇禮門, literally "Gate of Exalted Ceremonies," as written in hanja on a plaque on the wooden structure. As the southern gate of the original walls surrounding Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty, it is widely known as Namdaemun 南大門, literally "the great southern gate."

The city gate, made of wood and stone with a two-tiered, pagoda-shaped tiled roof, was completed in 1398 and originally used to greet foreign emissaries, control access to the capital city, and keep out Korean tigers, which have long been gone from the area.

It is located in Seoul Special City, Jung-gu, Namdaemun St 4-Ga 29, halfway between Seoul Station and Seoul City Plaza. Nearby is the Namdaemun market, a traditional twenty-four hour market that has been operating for centuries. The area is also home to several shopping malls.

On February 10 2008, the wooden structure atop the gate was destroyed in what is currently being investigated as an arson fire.

History

Sungnyemun in 1904

Sungnyemun was the oldest wooden structure in Seoul. The construction of this gate began in 1395 during the fourth year of the reign of King Taejo of Joseon and was finished in 1398. The structure was rebuilt in 1447 and was renovated several times since. It was originally one of three main gates, the others being the East Gate (Dongdaemun) and the now-demolished West Gate in the Seodaemun-gu district, named after the old gate.

In the early part of the 20th century, the city walls that surrounded Seoul were demolished by the Japanese Government, ostensibly "to ease the flow of traffic in the area." A visit to Seoul by the Crown Prince of Japan prompted the demolition of the walls around Sungnyemun, as the prince was deemed to be too exalted to pass through the gateway. The gate was closed to the public in 1907 after the Japanese colonial authorities constructed an electric tramway nearby. Sungnyemun was extensively damaged during the Korean War and was given its last major repair in 1961, with a completion ceremony held on May 14, 1963. It was given the status of "National Treasure No.1" on December 20, 1962.

The Gate was renovated again in 2005 with the building of a lawn around the gate, before being opened once again to the public with much fanfare on 3 March 2006. During the restoration, 182 pages of blueprints for the gate were made as a contingency against any emergencies which may damage the structure.

Fire

File:Namdaemun-Fire-16.PNG
The fire burning the superstructure

At approximately 8:50 p.m. on February 10, 2008, a fire broke out and severely damaged the wooden structure at the top of the Namdaemun gate. By late Sunday night, firefighters said they believed that they had contained it. But the fire roared out of control again after midnight and finally destroyed the structure, despite the efforts of more than 360 firefighters. There were no injuries reported.

The cause was originally suspected as accidental; however, many witnesses reported seeing a suspicious man shortly before the fire, and two disposable lighters were found where the fire was believed to have started. A 70-year-old man identified only by his family name, Chae, was arrested on suspicion of arson and then later confessed to the crime. A police captain reported that Mr. Chae sprayed paint thinner on the floor of the structure and then set fire to it. Police say that Mr. Chae was upset about not being paid in full for land he had sold to developers. The same man had been charged with setting a fire at Changgyeong Palace in Seoul in 2006.

The Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea said that it would undertake a three-year project that would cost an estimated $21 million to rebuild and restore the historic gate. President-elect Lee Myung-bak has proposed starting a private donation campaign to finance the restoration of the structure.

Gallery

References

  1. Kwang-Tae Kim (2008-02-11). "South Korea arrests man in landmark fire". Associated Press. Yahoo! News.
  2. "S. Korean landmark collapses in fire". Associated Press. CNN. 2008-02-11.
  3. ^ "Fire ravages South Korea landmark". BBC News. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
  4. Seth, Michael J (2006). A Concise History of Korea: From The Neolithic Period Through the Nineteenth Century. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 204.
  5. Hong Seong-tae (2004). "From Mount Baekak to the Han River: A Road to Colonial Modernization". In LaMarre, Thomas; Kang, Nae-hŭi (ed.). Impacts of Modernities. Hong Kong University Press. p. 126.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  6. Rahn, Kim (2008-02-11). "Poor Security Blamed for Gate Burnout". Korea Times.
  7. Lankov, Andrei (2008-02-11). "Namdaemun Outlived War, Colonialism". Korea Times.
  8. Chung Ah-young (2008-02-11). "Three Years Needed for Restoration". Korea Times.
  9. ^ Kwok, Vivian Wai-yin (2008-02-11). "Korea's Historic Namdaemun Gate Toppled By Fire". Forbes.
  10. "Man 'confesses to S Korea blaze'". BBC News. 2008-02-12.
  11. ^ Kim Tae-jong (2008-12-12). "Suspect Admits Arson on Namdaemun". Korea Times.
  12. "SKorea arsonist in Namdaemun fire had grudge over land dispute: police". Agence France-Presse. Google. 2008-02-12.
  13. Hyung-Jin Kim (2008-02-11). "Fire destroys South Korean landmark". Associated Press. Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
  14. Choe Sang-Hun (2008-02-12). "South Korean Gate Destroyed in Fire". The New York Times.
  15. Kim Yon-se (2008-02-12). "Donation for Gate Restoration Proposed". Korea Times.

See also

  • Dongdaemun - the Great East Gate
  • Kinkaku-ji - The Japanese temple was damaged by a monk's arson attack in 1950 and reconstructed in 1956. Rokuon-ji is its formal name.
  • arson

External links

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