Miryang (밀양)
Nestled in a gorgeous valley in Gyeongsang Province lies scenic Miryang. The Miryang River splits, forming an island one kilometer across, which now makes up the downtown area of this unique community. Situated on the far side of the river, however, lies the old town, the one that existed when Hideyoshi’s armies invaded in 1592. Protecting it then and standing silent vigil still today is Miryang Eupseong, including the very photogenic, cliff-side Yeongnamnu Pavilion.
Only a couple sections of the old walls at Miryang survive, but they are gorgeous! Unlike some eupseongs built later, Miryang’s fortress did not encompass the town, rather fortifying nearby advantageous terrain. In the event of attack, the townspeople ran into the fortress and took up arms in its defense alongside the garrison.
The view from the top. The Miryang River pictured here splits near the far end of the long bridge in the photo, forming an island in the center, a unique bit of geography. The tall apartments visible in the distance, center frame, is the direction from which Konishi Yukinaga approached Miryang in May 1592. His army arrive a mere three days after landing at Busan, amid much confusion, and so this wonderfully sited fortress was left undefended.
Where the walls of the eupseong descend the hill toward the old town you’ll find first Mubongsa Temple and then, a little further beyond, the gorgeous Yeongnamnu Pavilion. Overlooking the Miryang River below, the pavilion offers scenic views of the entire valley. A pavilion was originally erected here during the Silla Period, it was rebuilt during the Goryeo Era and then, for the last time, in 1884, always with the same basic structure.
It’s a bit difficult to pick out but there, to the right of Yeongnamnu is Mubongsa Temple. The pavilion sat on the edge of the eupseong wall at the time, but the stretch of wall that would have fronted the temple was long ago destroyed.
Beautiful Yeongnamnu Pavilion!
On the shared grounds there between the temple and the pavilion you find a statue to the Joseon monk Yujeong, a genuine hero of the Kingdom of Joseon. When the Japanese invaded he raised a guerrilla band made up of warrior monks, fighting alongside such luminaries as General Gwon Yul at the Sieges of Ulsan and Suncheon. When the eminent monk Hyujeong relinquished command of Joseon’s warrior clergy after the Siege of Pyeongyang in 1593, Yujeong took on that role till the end of the war four years later.
After the war, Yujeong joined the Joseon diplomatic delegation that established peace and even trade with the Tokugawa Shogunate, joining the official mission to Japan in 1604. He returned to Joseon with 3,500 abductees taken during the war, helping to begin the healing process.