Cheonseongjinseong (천성진성)
Cheonseongjinseong, as the name implies, was another of the numerous Joseon Era naval bases located just west of Busan. In May 1592 the squadron and garrison stationed there were part of the Gyeongsang Right Fleet, under the command of Admiral Won Gyun. Situated at the mouth of the Naktong River, guarding the approach to Angolpo and Gimhae ports, it was one of two fortifications built on tiny Gadeok Island, but the only one that survives in any recognizable state today, the other having been built over when the Japanese took control of the island. Abandoned in the early days, and mass confusion, of the Imjin War, Gadeok Island, if not the naval bases built there, was destined to play a significant role in the progress of that six-year conflict. That said, Cheonseongjinseong offers that rare opportunity to explore a fortress in the rough, so-to-speak, and we had great fun doing so at the long-forgotten site.
A modern rendering of what the original naval fortress looked like in its prime. Interesting to find multiple baileys on a Korean fortress, a feature we noticed while walking the grounds.
The fortress grounds are HEAVILY grown over, but the local government had the good sense to at least fence off the important archaeological site, leaving it relatively intact after what appears to have been many decades of farming and civilian use following its complete abandonment at the end of the Joseon Era.
One of the gates leading into the fortress. This is the one most accessible and likely every visitor’s first impression of what once represented a formidable naval facility.
It took a while, walking around, to get a feel for what we were seeing. But the mounds turned out to be the remnants of towers. The fill withing surviving as a shapeless mound as stone was slowly stripped away and repurposed.
Another gate remnant. The walls at this end were more difficult to envision as the degree to which they were left standing varied widely along the length. There appeared to be a moat surrounding the sides of the fortress facing the highlands to the north and east, supporting the artist’s rendering. While it might just as easily represent a more modern ditch, used by farmers in the area, it seemed too wide for such an application, and too uniformly dug along the course of the wall. Something I’d like to look into if I get the chance to return some day!
More shapeless mounds, though this one appears to be more vegetation than anything else. Still, given its location near a gate, it seems likely that under all that green lies the remnant of another tower.
The fence lies quite close to the actual wall in places and farming goes on quite nearby. Still, the state of the wall emerges through the vegetation beautifully at places, shedding light on what almost seems like another world.
A corner tower. Being more accessible, its been stripped of more stone. While walking the site I had to continually remind myself that the fortress had been abandoned for well over a century, and the stone used to construct its sturdy walls must have seemed to the locals as going to waste.
If you’re visiting Geoje Island, Angolpo, or just looking for interesting places to stop along Korea’s scenic southern coast, I highly recommend a brief stop at CheonSeongjinseong. It’s an easy walk—no hills--and just plain fun to explore!