Taesong Fortress | |
Chosŏn'gŭl | 대성산성 |
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Hancha | 大城山城 |
Revised Romanization | Daeseongsanseong |
McCune–Reischauer | Taesŏngsansŏng |
Taesong Fortress | |
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The Taesong Fortress (Korean: 대성산성) was a city fortress and the capital of Koguryo, until 668.[1] It lies between the rivers Taedong and Pothong.[1] Parts of the city walls, its gates (Taedong Gate, Pothong Gate) and pavilions (Ulmil Pavilion and Ryongwang Pavilion) still remain in the city of Pyongyang, North Korea.[1] The fortress has been dated to the 3rd-5th centuries, during the Koguryo period.[2]
The walls of the fortress have a circumference of 7,218m.[3][4] (Another source gives the walls as being 7,076 metres round with total length of its walls being 9,284 metres)[2] Built at the foot of Mount Taesong, the fortress provided protection for the capital, and held wells, storehouses and armories behind its walls.[5] It remains one of the largest stone fortifications found in Korea in both its circumference and the area enclosed.[6]