Gyodong Eupseong

Gyodong Eupseong is a Joseon Dynasty eupseong (walled town) located at the southern foot of Hwagae Mountain in Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon. The terrain is high in the north and low in the south. An eupseong is a fortress built for the defense of a town where a local administrative office was located. Gyodong Eupseong was first built in 1629 when the Gyeonggi Naval Command was established in Gyodong, and was repaired several times thereafter. The fortress surrounded the entire town to block invasions from outside, and gates were installed in several places to allow passage to the outside. The circumference of the fortress is about 779m, and gates were built on the east, south, and north sides, all three of which had barbicans (ongseong). Each gate had a gate tower: the east gate was called Tongsamnu, the south gate Yuryangnu, and the north gate Gongbuknu. The main camp of the Samdosugun Tong-eoyeong (Three Provinces Naval Command) was once stationed inside this fortress. It is unclear when the east and north gates disappeared. The south gate, Yuryangnu, collapsed due to a storm in 1921, leaving only the rainbow-shaped arch gate, which was restored in 2018 to its current appearance. Nearby attractions worth visiting together include Gyodong Hyanggyo and Gyodong Market. Address: 577, Eupnae-ri, Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon