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Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/341a3f6b-55fb-47f1-8cda-88a3cad51188/DSC_7906.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515837244658-146EWA2DBWCCJ5PSEFVM/IMG_0004.JPG Korea - Korean Fortifications & Other Historical Sites Stone sentinels standing watch over a harsh land and tough people… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7966315e-481c-494e-b853-2ca2e2769d76/Dangung_JM_01.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/81074154-c334-4da5-b839-8147b6c0ed16/Korea+Castle+Map_13+DEC+25.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Green sites are those fortresses with some historical relationship to the Imjin War, Hideyoshi’s invasion of Joseon Korea 1592-98. Red sites are Imjin War battlefields without fortifications. Japanese castle ruins from that war—called “waeseong” in Korean—are indicated with an asterik. Blue sites are those which played a part in the Mongol invasions of Korea, 1231-1257 and the succeeding Sambyeolcheo Rebellion, 1270-1273. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e4769e0b-3cbc-418d-b50f-fba1e7f75050/IMG_3864.png Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515379715253-9U6YFMEWZ4GRU204O2SW/DSC06617.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515380094869-2WMV6Y5SBP26CTQKQTFG/DSC03368.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515379752152-YTWLQQTK7IVOD9WZIXFL/DSC00353.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5ca400c6-a3e5-4d2f-aaf0-c112c8272712/IMG_3533.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ee11b59b-643d-4d91-888d-d2015d181ad1/IMG_3870.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/668b3293-f870-4891-b552-9aada07a9edb/DSC_1833.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0354c10d-42e1-4299-a519-488d1610405b/DSC_1882.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/46f2231f-73cd-467f-ab92-1067c89214d5/DSC_2073.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c33fbc6e-a2ee-4e61-b8e9-67e8db1b8508/DSC_2292.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/37f39b44-0087-4912-aa20-d2c92323adf7/DSC_2360.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/42514283-ecc6-4ce6-84fd-24200d62c41e/DSC_3975.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5513384e-e5dd-4e98-b93d-652c80f9c58e/DSC_3848.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7d048e4f-9d67-4e2a-8bf1-63b4e83dfeb9/DSC_5272.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d30cc691-0781-4297-b005-cfe3e3c8a9ac/IMG_1251.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bbc3035c-3d48-4ee4-942e-a7ea11759e84/DSC_2945.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b0d1eb72-24d3-48fc-ac8b-19450c454768/DSC_7509.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/85e9023d-18a2-441f-bc56-8de011ca096d/DSC_7996.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/61000ea2-1476-4a53-b3ec-8d3be273b252/DSC_8392.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515379674401-IKEGGSI61RI0BOGNR6PU/DSC01823.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515381124570-44I8OD2YALEOQZFAT83Z/IMG_0139.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/68a8c0b7-c331-4e70-b82c-8c60cfce4638/Hwaseong_Fortress_Sketch_2.jpg Korea This is a pretty good—and modern—sketch of old Suwon and its defensive walls. It provides a good idea of the layout. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/93d23cb8-2e0b-4856-a868-9dfd673cc583/DSC_4582.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Changyongmun Gate from inside the walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a3f5d9e1-2020-4b77-b8e3-408d1109ad40/DSC_4594.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Changyongmun from the outside, including its “recently” redesigned approach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515381439622-7NTILJ4TIJ8Z0UQLFTF4/%EC%97%AC%EC%88%98%EC%88%9C%EC%B2%9C%EC%A7%84%EC%A3%BC+148.JPG Korea Dongbukkongshimdon tower, a fairly unique—and modern—structure for a Joseon Era fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4dddf7bf-3fd0-4cbe-9f45-908a1ce48f05/DSC_5073.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6cf863ee-aa1f-4246-b432-08ccfc120b8a/DSC_5075.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/39e349de-e735-4086-bfff-75707fe5a6fa/DSC_5076.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e4dfb1cd-ab3c-4aad-964e-2f927e9bf846/DSC_4616.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A sentry post along the southern wall. Hwaseong stretches west from the Dongbukkongshimdon and the nearby command post to the water gate and, eventually, to Mount Paldal on the far side of the old city. This segment provides some of the most beautiful sections of the graceful walls as they hug the contours of the earth in a manner typical of Korean fortifications. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e01a4668-c3b0-4eb1-89cf-53056dd35a53/DSC_4620.JPG Korea - Make it stand out An artillery tower—another fairly modern invention at the time—along the southern wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ca417083-d25d-45ae-831a-c9025d4e3288/DSC_4624.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Straight-on shot of the signal station. One link in a line of signal stations leading all the way to Busan in the south and the capital in Seoul to the north. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/913e5369-9a00-4a9b-8a65-5e0978d397de/DSC_4630.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The signal station is a pretty large feature along the southern wall of Hwaseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a4563165-284d-4559-8e7f-c85e9187d68f/DSC_4635.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking up at Mt. Paldal any time during the hike you’ll see the Western Command Post on the heights above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/302429d8-b20f-47ce-adf2-2dde72672307/DSC_4647.jpg Korea - Make it stand out On the southern wall, overlooking the southern water gate below, lies one of my favorite guard posts at Hwaseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/93974cde-8217-49e1-bd81-f7ad8adfd805/DSC_4654.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/21043330-e686-4772-bee3-2eae694086a9/DSC_4666.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is the great Southern Gate complex, called Paldalmun. Note the outer, semi-circular walls provide Paldalmun with a double gate…no doubt doubly difficult to breach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/61b1cd51-33f8-4ea3-b905-cd56af22175c/DSC_4683.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The rear view of Paldalmun, from inside the fortress walls. This gate is free-standing due to the growth of Suwon City making a full restoration of the fortress impossible…yet. I hope at some point in the future the 200 meter wall section to the east and 100 meters to the west can be completed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/567b1348-b26d-4b43-be8f-168a374180a8/DSC_4690.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Stairs leading up Paldal Mountain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515381619155-NVGYEUSKVXB8P9IFT1Q8/IMG_0089.JPG Korea An older pic of the lower stairs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/02b703ef-0e6d-4887-befb-320a4d9365f0/DSC_4699.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Nearing the top of the climb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515381686350-014OQGZ5LCTUA0QF3AM3/IMG_0096.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/67a3f599-1c22-4fb1-b67e-68e53345be9b/DSC_4704.jpg Korea - Make it stand out This tiny gate, called Seonamamun, is the smallest gate at Hwaseong bearing a wooden superstructure. It opens onto a raised narrow corridor-like wall section that leads to the Southwestern Pavilion. The height of Mount Paldal coupled with the pavilion's location on the extreme western end of the ridge line would have provided views far into the distance, allowing for some measure of early warning for threats approaching from the west. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e282f1da-1f74-44a3-a56c-5a3294da9bbf/DSC_4705.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Heading out Seonamamun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/754e8ecc-6608-413f-84bf-cb931813fa57/DSC_4713.jpg Korea - Make it stand out The Southwestern Pavilion would have provided not only a lovely setting for a party, but also critical sightlines to the south and west. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f42a8b93-7195-49ad-8aa1-8c348654da14/DSC_4708.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Returning to Seonamamun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2bdeaff4-fbf4-4e99-8d40-4116116df460/DSC_4735.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The western wall section atop Paldal Mountain leading up to a guard post. These generally had heated floors and allowed a place for sentries to warm up between shifts on cold winter days and nights. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1e2f1a8b-48de-467e-9519-07cd19a2e630/DSC_4744.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/84dbaa0d-8424-405f-856c-64f602620281/DSC_4758.JPG Korea - Make it stand out One of four “secret gates”—this one atop Mt. Paldal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8c33c052-02ae-4a4d-b97b-a2124c087a32/DSC_4765.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is my favorite of all the secret gates—seen in oblique from the outside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/95ec2633-7ee3-4b26-bed8-62d2a9f9992f/DSC_4770.JPG Korea - Make it stand out From the bottom of Mt. Paldal, this gate would be all but invisible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/449d77a9-a9c7-495e-8c19-ab3d696892e6/DSC_4798.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Western Command Post, or Seojangdae, atop Mt. Paldal is visible from nearly any spot in the fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9f4ec1fd-6d81-4873-b88e-b262ba66b95f/DSC_4796.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Likewise, from the Western Command Post the entire Fortess—and its environs—is visible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e8c46148-c2fb-4f6f-9183-93369b99d405/DSC_4781.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d1e39a86-6ff8-4ca9-bba6-61152fab07b7/DSC_4783.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515387324190-L5RYT0K6M8DPUV5975LU/DSC00260.JPG Korea An older pic, but on a pretty clear day showing nearly half of the northern wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2b147280-14cb-4a34-a259-8424521d6887/DSC_4802.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Seonodae was an archery/crossbow platform. Another reflection of more contemporary means of defending a fortress not found elsewhere in Korea. The platform is just high enough to be able to shoot down over the nearby western wall and slope of Mount Paldal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515381937467-0YN50815JMMIFYRS5MNY/IMG_0144.JPG Korea Timing my hike just right one day a few years ago, I crested Mt. Paldal just before sunset…and enjoyed the most incredible show all the way down! These are some of my favorite pics from Hwaseong, and I’ve never timed it right since! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515381777954-B83FFG93Y2IM55AEQ1YP/IMG_0125.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515381894494-SB96LCKQ2Q5RY2V6NBRJ/IMG_0140.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/eabec50e-d03d-4f99-90e1-5429588d82ab/DSC_4816.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Rounding the fortress to the north juxtaposes the medieval fortifications with modern Suwon City beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/df053d50-b20b-4844-be6a-0ce0453df0de/DSC_4819.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515387135709-4907CP06PBT2W57OPUS2/DSC00252.JPG Korea An older pic from a warmer visit, but the entire northern wall was visible on this day, including both north-facing gates. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/aa2fa7ad-5edf-4823-8887-543c54f9e185/DSC_4833.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Coming down the hill toward Hwaseommun, the northwestern gate complex and its iconic guard tower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fb4052bb-60e5-4735-b40d-18f31ad851e2/DSC_4847.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A view of the single gate with half-moon protective outer wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fca94441-001f-4157-83f8-a8cfd2187437/DSC_4851.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Another of Hwaseong’s more contemporary towers, the Seobukgongsimdon, standing sentry over the northwestern gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515386455420-4ER6LM2Q8T160GWUGKXD/DSC00244.JPG Korea An older pic of the impressive Seobukgongsimdon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/54b5d1c7-9dcd-4ea6-ad48-208586a4266d/DSC_4887.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The masssive Janganmun, the Northern Gate into Hwaseong. It too includes a double gate to make unwanted entry more difficult for any attacker. The gate comples is flanked by a pair of uncovered turrets which would have provided wonderful platforms from which to direct fire at any enemy trying to breach the successive gates. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e9d834f5-bcb3-47bb-a7c8-394667396680/DSC_4925.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion with Hwahongmun water gate in the right foreground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f553f113-2d14-48dd-a889-93927e34ad86/DSC_4953.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Hwahongmun was designed to allow water to flow into the city while keeping unwanted "guests" out. It's a beautiful structure, especially after a good rain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fa021308-78d2-48e7-8b80-69632fa05b49/DSC_4945.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The water it let in provided necessary supply to the entire medieval city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/33912442-5dd0-4aa1-91b0-20e5d0fe2228/DSC_4978.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A Close-up—if not the best picture—of Banghwasuryujeong pavilion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/559f1e22-c67e-4807-aafd-19c3f9597f9e/DSC_5017.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f59e18c9-bdf1-40c2-933d-112b05dc31f1/DSC_5033.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The circular pond below the pavilion is beautiful…even in the winter! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515385335961-YDDXRK0MFX228C50EF6P/DSC00227.JPG Korea An older pic, but showing the pavilion and pond below in warmer days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b3d9868f-8475-4b14-9287-7e0ee73bcfb2/DSC_4970.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Another of my favorite wall sections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9620650a-271c-41e4-8bc9-c5842239265e/DSC_5056.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a4c66138-e96f-4055-a8b3-f22988dd11a3/DSC_5067.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Eastern Command Post, the Dongjangdae. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515385080376-8DT0067JONS8SYWMKCNJ/IMG_0232.JPG Korea Of all the times I've visited Hwaseong, I've only been at night once. I'll admit to not being very skilled at night photography, but a couple of these from a previous visit came out all right so I’ll leave them here. That said, they don't even begin to do justice to the sight of Hwaseong lit up at night. Highly recommend a night visit during the warmer months, however, as it gets pretty cold out on the walls during the winter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515385245293-KZMJDP5GD66PYEBCWHNV/IMG_0240.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515385268751-38V8QGNZLZWIVEEQVQ6H/IMG_0275.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515403195023-SFT6A99N1BDZBPZVD9S3/DSC03402.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515404149921-2V5UI5T878ZFGMVRJHJ9/DSC03611.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515406125502-GHZC150QQJEYTHHSWB3T/Korea+Trip+2008-2009+106.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/06595515-41f7-49e3-800e-8ac94f7afbe6/DSC_8705.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9b9dc1b7-f8f0-467d-9977-908be8fd5367/DSC_8709.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515404771957-CCJN4MN29CB6Y3HODD2Z/DSC00803.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/06240359-1bdc-49f3-80e0-40f513d7a7c1/DSC_8745.JPG Korea - Make it stand out It can be pretty steep here, but this first climb is the longest going clockwise around the fortress, and I still recommend visiting this way, especially if its your first time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ada9269d-fa47-45e9-bf1d-da63e6f63dfc/DSC_8712.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515404802931-N32UGJ4BJG6OFJK4VLU4/DSC00804.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6cd96651-94ba-4c10-affc-2e0f689beded/DSC_8719.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515404898731-EWZB6IDNMH0CKHRKYAKY/DSC03365.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515404944664-152PC960CKJRURELAFU3/DSC03368.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515405021238-8WLR28DVMMTBNBIK6314/DSC03391.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/72c40c9d-01cb-4628-8e6f-531867f4b172/DSC_8817.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9787488e-7fb5-412b-9b76-9925477ef2e5/DSC_8770.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The first of many “secret” gates you encounter. This view from within the walls… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cbdcbd66-f653-4051-a365-3e492dc344fd/DSC_8777.JPG Korea - Make it stand out …and this one from the outside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515405073454-Z5PG2L2ZA9IQXFGIAVWZ/DSC03407.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/eef59813-b642-49a2-abad-a05ce63544b9/DSC_8847.JPG Korea - Make it stand out View approaching the Western Gate from the inside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b9ddd881-9f43-4138-8be3-26b98a9d7127/DSC_8851.JPG Korea - Make it stand out …and from outside. The trail leading up to this portal is pretty steep, a theme you’ll see repeated throughout Namhansanseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515405136950-42MPVWRXYS8NMG43VSNR/DSC03428.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4eab56d0-9c6a-4bc1-9ca1-8539b555b1cd/DSC_8873.JPG Korea - Make it stand out View from inside the secret gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9aea93ef-c301-4805-bf43-50308b0e9ae2/DSC_8880.JPG Korea - Make it stand out And from outside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e97bd411-fc96-4381-8560-43bf02a3f0e0/DSC_8872.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f0699620-9a7a-494e-b35b-93f7c8faeb34/DSC_8895.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is the final stretch leading up to the small, fortified observation post above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8b5046d1-b512-4b36-aae1-9ed2f71b0d11/DSC_8903.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking back toward the fortress from the observation post. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515405242592-TILHZGOPMTK9X3LL356H/DSC03458.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/00e68001-93bd-4803-b71b-4647c2bd07e5/IMG_4461.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8b9f8444-142d-4dff-9ca0-3508efef75d2/IMG_4462.JPG Korea - Make it stand out An inside view of one of Namhansanseong’s secret gates. Fairly humble, they were intended to facilitate supply and sorties against a besieging force, not caravans of pack animals and royal palanquins as with the larger gates. Even if such a gate were forced by the enemy, its easy to see that defending the portal would not be difficult for defenders. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1d9ee1f6-7f62-4e82-8f32-ce39816dd00b/IMG_4421.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2c651701-a3ff-46c0-8bd7-e18272e6b954/DSC_9006.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515405344000-L706OT3P9DWRFGB7840D/DSC03475.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/304e59cd-6e5a-4d6f-8b81-40ac1ca1749c/IMG_4459.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The limited time available to my latest visit led to a decision to traverse the walls “backward” meaning counter-clockwise. I’d never done this before and so despite having walked the entire length of the fortress walls several times before, I saw new things this time around. That includes this nasty and altogether uncomfortable descent…previously known to me as the most painful climb of a clockwise hike of the fortress! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515405399918-AVN331C1EYTFOHM1SPMA/DSC03485.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e4c7b096-3d8b-47e4-b898-c8b34d4d2c9f/IMG_4455.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2efec89b-e1ce-4547-80ad-76eff2468597/IMG_4453.jpg Korea - Make it stand out The city of Seoul lies just north of Namhansanseong, barely visible here. In Joseon times, Seoul was entirely situated north of Namsan Mountain and only in the last century spread south of those heights and then crossed the Han River. That last expansion, toward the Jamsil area, is what you see here. Incidentally, the monument stone erected in 1637 by the Manchus after their victory over Joseon, the Samjeondo, remains there, beside Lotte World Magic Island. Its original location was closer to the crossing point of the Han River used by the Manchus in their approach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3ca5df45-985d-492c-b38f-21458b9193f9/DSC_8864.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/88d56012-9a2e-47db-87ac-456918794e12/DSC_8955.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515533482605-INPT3R4COUE7NSEH0PZX/DSC03498.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ed44bec2-90e1-4785-b2d1-c44e4f58b5b5/DSC_9098.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is the first indicator that you’re approaching something new and interesting. The gate visible here is actually outside the walls of the main fortress…and locks from the other side! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515533446154-MKE5XGKXGFU00B85T9JM/DSC03499.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4f0b260e-afb2-480b-862e-d968e5ad5b88/IMG_4451.JPG Korea - Make it stand out If you expand this photo and look carefully, you can see the trace of this dramatic expansion out beyond the renovated main walls of the fortress. This was the state of all Namhansanseong before renovation began on the incredible site in the 1970s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/589ad470-c272-4f6b-b3a7-28fa65aefba8/DSC_9101.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Roughly the same picture as above but taken in November 2024. They’ve done an incredible job removing the brush which had spent 200 years trying to swallow up the beautiful walls of Namhansanseong. The outer fortress is much more visible now, and much more of it is accessible without a tribal guide and sherpas! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b5470bb4-eea8-4f13-aa93-c9d97e2ec1a6/DSC_9032.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6eb52fd9-4f7b-4c91-a9b4-1aba836186f0/DSC_9045.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/891ac5ce-9a93-477d-bca5-85e726f4b915/DSC_9050.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/eaa057e9-e879-423b-91c3-5a57dbd1ea1d/DSC_9055.JPG Korea - Make it stand out They’ve done such a good job restoring the rest of Namhansanseong that it’s hard to imagine the entire circuit of walls and gates looking like this just 50 years ago. That said—and call me crazy—I find a certain elegant beauty in these unpreserved sections and kinda hope they leave some of it as is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f5889e2b-032c-428b-8ad8-b976c83b8bb3/DSC_9059.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Last time I visited only the larger sections of this gate were standing, with no masonry overhead, the stones long ago having been carted off elsewhere. I walked right through almost without even noticing I’d passed through the wall. They’ve since rebuilt this entire gate—to say nothing of this section of the outer fortress—and it looks amazing! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/db396ca4-ba0d-4eab-8043-3ce83f4ff0ee/DSC_9065.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The rebuilt gate from outside. Would have preferred a better, wide-angle picture, but the steep drop-off behind me made that risky…at best. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/112e8cd4-ebe7-43c2-b5b6-95971abd2b7d/DSC_9063.JPG Korea - Make it stand out All of this was so overgrown with brush the first time I came here you couldn’t really even picture the full extent of the walls. Much of the restoration work on the outer fortress has been just clearing away the long-term growth and allowing the walls to once more see daylight and the few visitors who venture this far off the usual hiking trails. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dab157ab-9e9c-4959-a827-01a47ff0846f/DSC_9070.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This section at the far end of the outer fortress features rebuilt crenellations as well, though this was a theme throughout our hike as Namhansanseong is getting the first facelift its seen in decades, marked by the white, as yet unweathered mortar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1e8ec9f8-6b00-464f-8983-b37f99c8cfb2/DSC_9072.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9b73d173-ff7c-4550-8ecd-de6b1e86b704/DSC_9077.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/07e1faf7-2da2-445e-9c62-a4d25cc57f7e/DSC_9078.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/80b46bd1-ff7e-4e97-af29-bc08729637f5/DSC_9093.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Heading back toward the main fortress I couldn’t help but capture this sudden rise in the wall. Like with the previous observation post, the walls linking the main fortress to the outer one run along a steep but very narrow ridgeline. This is its narrowest point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515405524540-3ROG4SVQ12R1HGN8VMBV/DSC03513.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8f1a84f9-f35f-4831-aaf3-4f0484cca8b2/DSC_9105.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/28142ecb-33c5-4588-9298-bc0bec55f1fb/DSC_9113.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/38074124-8830-4164-847f-c9e8273665f9/DSC_9132.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/016ed0ab-1ff3-4795-a4a2-2cbff6466dea/DSC_9136.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d3b6ed05-6545-4ff7-9c30-78611252c388/DSC_9117.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/82936d0a-559a-4a70-8bba-44baee870543/IMG_4433.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f82ff1dc-e4bd-4e8d-a71d-2b158bc6ac95/DSC_9125.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515405655702-RP1QNNHD4H1XNTBJMZXS/DSC03542.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/26c78f84-4414-4764-8a00-ce66ae7ba83b/IMG_4438.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Halfway up to the top. If traversing Namhansanseong in a counter-clockwise fashion, this section is by far the steepest and longest…and will make you reconsider this and other life choices!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0b5ef20f-373f-4519-8ce0-c59f2d1a2049/DSC_9177.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dd55940a-7c15-4fa7-b1c4-fc9829592165/DSC_9178.JPG Korea - Make it stand out These holes in the wall were later additions and allowed the employment of small cannon, directed at the high ground directly facing this section of the fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/679feb93-f09a-4f7f-bd24-16189c407197/DSC_9179.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The low position of the gunports give some idea of how small Joseon era gun mounts—and the cannon they conveyed—actually were. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/95ca6e58-c695-4b1f-9583-997cb119a061/IMG_4406.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/42ee22d3-6e85-4aa7-8416-04511398a8cc/DSC_9203.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fea42245-3941-4770-b78e-1534dcfce813/DSC_9205.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/567891a4-183e-4a28-ac02-ec026706887d/DSC_9213.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f0dc18dc-1042-4c2b-9280-1d4e58cba5fb/DSC_9216.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Near the East Gate—the most accessible by far—there is a water gate to facilitate drainage… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/79675491-cfae-4d85-93cd-cfb8d89e7990/DSC_9225.JPG Korea - Make it stand out …as well as a secret gate to facilitate sallies out against a force assaulting the East Gate itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/86ea051f-4a68-4bf5-ae9d-9116737b863b/DSC_9237.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2eeae8b1-f1c4-495f-a07e-fa591469af28/DSC_9241.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/34a01680-f089-4d96-b94c-4a8fb9441583/DSC_9243.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3b474f0a-5694-419a-b0ba-d323669409df/DSC_9245.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c6829a84-cd8a-4dd1-9ecd-07e5a25ba70f/DSC_9248.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A second extension undergoing restoration work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9a5bbc23-4b6c-44bc-8929-b378ea0910bc/DSC_9254.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5dc92e2a-d27d-4cb7-bdfe-ad1fd73ce451/DSC_9257.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1f35eb2a-2e9a-4ee8-83a5-a87d812c77e9/DSC_9266.JPG Korea - Make it stand out And a third extension. Each of these seems sited to cover otherwise dead space out of sight from the main walls, which would have allowed attackers to get close without being detected. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3e1a3a33-6c17-4bda-a864-db12e2dada8a/DSC_9271.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cae96325-4ec8-4174-a16d-22f1a60e21cb/DSC_9277.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/15141680-db61-4c33-938d-4836591a4a4e/DSC_9293.JPG Korea - Make it stand out My favorite view of Namhansanseong, descending toward the South Gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515405898126-MLY07MKV5LY0KU0EA1LI/DSC03327.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f0f19c92-7187-44a7-aac5-03888c8b8f75/DSC_9308.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2c8fd36f-988c-4660-9ca3-581706f2fe09/DSC_9371.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Just a taste of the development near the South Gate. Restaurants stretch more-or-less all the way down to the East Gate. There’s lots to choose from and it seems a lot of folks just go up there for the food and not the hiking or—<gasp>—the history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b01cfa6f-be10-47c9-ba1e-7608384317c5/DSC_9304.JPG Korea - Make it stand out These memorial tablets recognize all the Magistrates, and thus Commanders, of Namhansaneong throughout history. The markers had been discovered, one-by-one, during the original 1970s restoration and brought together here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7c9d781e-02f1-4504-b84d-53bbe53c6b3c/DSC_9314.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The main gate to the palace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/67e5d4ea-b621-4e1d-979c-b8f3aaf76c8f/DSC_9368.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Love the multi-tiered entrance here! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bfd0b147-9084-4668-8461-c014b1998874/DSC_9330.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9ec41bba-6273-468e-b158-d24f0d13558e/DSC_9333.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5e221696-2b49-4971-9a6e-1c672b835c74/DSC_9338.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Very quaint pavilion at the back end of the palace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c550162e-5d1e-48fe-b967-a5d7b19ff98e/DSC_9343.JPG Korea - Make it stand out And a diminutive rear gate providing access to the wooded mountainscape beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/faaded26-9d06-44b4-84f6-03900e21385a/DSC_9349.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e4050e84-e3a1-457d-83df-4b1eb17efb33/DSC_1274.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cf57fc83-4088-4625-98af-5d1362d8398e/DSC_1271.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6ef6cb76-316c-4521-8e71-02d18400d5ae/DSC_1281.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e81ddaf3-19ce-4b1b-a35e-e2a39ad46280/DSC_5551.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9304268c-6daf-41ef-b962-6b1bcaa12b82/DSC_5510.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The small French company investigating reports of Joseon forces gathering at Jeonjoksa Temple must have been quite surprised to find the main gate of Samnangseong. Even more so when the fortress commander’s crack marksmen opened up from the battlements causing significant casualties amongst the stunned infantrymen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3aefd324-ba3e-43e7-9ecb-3b13b6ace07e/DSC_5524.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The wall here—and late addition crenellations—is fairly crudely constructed. Consistent with its suspected early date of construction. Myth says a son of Dangun built this fortress…but the use of masonry argues against it. Likely a late Three Kingdoms fortress with Joseon era additions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/eb0fe9f2-156b-47fa-ad28-d41da586ab5b/DSC_5547.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/56469455-ae6b-427f-bf10-3be52e590f10/DSC_5573.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The walls here are flat-topped for most of their circumference, but they look down upon pretty steep slopes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/87d0e1d3-8b8d-4c1c-ae6b-7f9c3ff85fe5/DSC_5588.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking down on the idyllic Jeonjoksa. Also gives an idea how high above the valley floor the scenic walls rise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6e4927de-f904-47db-a02c-db356ade7f48/DSC_5603.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Can honestly say I’ve never seen anything quite like this built into a fortress this old. Essentially a Roman style arch built with brick, covered with stone. Cool! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/43bb9e4d-c836-4b07-b80e-7f76c6b7e4f4/DSC_5619.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Drainage—as usual for a Korean fortress—leading out through the wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/76cf2fca-61ec-4f79-8b7d-b8e49ecad096/DSC_5828.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is the longest, straightest wall we found at Sangnangseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/96eecbf9-9dff-480c-98b3-24f6e4a4ae46/DSC_5641.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5350f286-9183-4fcc-89fc-91af86f2b5da/DSC_5813.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a951489f-a8c3-4894-a1bf-906f0eff623e/DSC_5703.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/39cdab2b-1554-4c11-9a6d-326c1759fba0/DSC_5661.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d16be9ed-86e6-4370-899b-cb7c67dfe3b8/DSC_5684.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a4421cb4-f136-41f3-98c9-edda96723c48/DSC_5705.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The temple’s beautifully rendered bell tower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/53276681-b9d7-4875-bb98-849d3696a533/DSC_5713.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/823e6ddf-2c80-4b0a-813c-a2e569d0e929/DSC_5722.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9c89f8f5-21fd-426a-b22e-18fb68d74e1d/DSC_5752.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Jeonjoksa was really decked out when we arrived, and the colors really popped! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0f785554-a634-4654-8861-95638160150c/DSC_5759.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ded68df8-d938-426d-9b0b-802c16a65ac2/DSC_5784.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c4a940e4-8822-4b07-894e-8f585fb3c5f0/DSC_5711.JPG Korea - Make it stand out And the similarly colorful drum tower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515838675133-OC3XCT0YPKML5UBLB8TM/DSC00457.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518945925605-2AGJUP0NJAMSRH9GS5IO/DSC00611.JPG Korea The only remaining gatehouse at Munsusanseong. This one has been restored as all the gates along the lower wall were destroyed by the French assault in 1866. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518946333011-NUMRNJ4L0YH7W0X4JR8R/DSC00616.JPG Korea The western walls have been restored for a short distance up the slope and provide a good idea what the walls of this mountain fortress looked like in their glory days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518946005599-6310JEKY3FAAXJWEPVFG/DSC00631.JPG Korea Beyond the end of restoration work on the western side you can just barely pick the wall out from the overgrown brush. Essentially the walls deteriorate as you progress up the hill on either side, then reappear as you head back down. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518946056870-1HWRH8TDM7H9NDPO3SZR/DSC00651.JPG Korea This small gateway, however, stood out as being fairly clear of brush. Likely means the locals used it as a pathway up and over the hill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518946092670-PK5WZY8C10OHL7O21CR0/DSC00660.JPG Korea And this view from the peak shows why Munsusanseong existed at all. The land visible across the Han River is Ganghwa Island, longtime refuge of Korea's royal family in times of trouble. It would see trouble of its own in the late 19th Century. Note just how extended this mountain fortress really is, as the lower walls and remaining gate are way down there, lost in the distance near the river bank. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518946135940-219GM0Q9MCQD1OR0G8NO/DSC00667.JPG Korea Happened upon this site during our hike reminding me once again that Munsusanseong is an active archaeological site as well as an on-going restoration effort. Look forward to seeing it fully restored. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518946224131-RFD7VF9OVTHB38HDIOVU/DSC00682.JPG Korea The partially restored eastern walls bear the fruits of those effort. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518946287461-0FNXVHHNQJONSSAM7LGW/DSC00692.JPG Korea This shows the end of the current testoration effort along the Eastern Wall. Expect this point to have advanced significantly next time I'm able to return. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/abcb0a43-b4c4-4653-a7fa-efa267d2b666/DSC_1404.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a1f19b5f-a8f1-47ad-97b9-03b7912567cd/DSC_1292.JPG Korea - Make it stand out We began our walk at the East Gate…primarily because there’s a parking lot nearby. Turned out to be fortuitous as there was an incredible Makguksu restaurant nearby! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/31d6f2c6-f5a7-4f1b-a771-2dab1ef137a1/DSC_1298.JPG Korea - Make it stand out From the East Gate, the wall goes uphill across the street. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c8982fab-5bbd-4396-a760-8cafb2b95b22/DSC_1310.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Much of the visible parts of the wall have been reconstructed since the Korean War, but once you get out of sight, the remains are…well…as they remain. Fortunately for me, I’m fascinated by both! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4745b80a-94bb-448c-b00a-b16f364401f1/DSC_1312.JPG Korea - Make it stand out And sometimes the wall seems to revert to its original (Goryeo Era) form of packed earth. This berm follows the course of the old wall down to the South Gate. You have to go on a little bit of faith at this point as it otherwise seems you’ve run out of wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/06dac6d5-fd2b-4bef-b891-8a3de743b494/DSC_1321.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Crossing the main street again you find the South Gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9d28d342-1808-4934-89ce-9a4afb7ca838/DSC_1337.JPG Korea - Make it stand out And from there…things get interesting! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e40ce78a-dff2-4f6d-9c58-c23d8083eccf/DSC_1342.jpg Korea - Make it stand out A few hundred meters above the South Gate, the reconstruction ends…but not the wall itself. It just keeps climbing! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cc54e587-8a70-4e99-9b15-e75cb19edb6e/DSC_1364.JPG Korea - Make it stand out As you reach the highest—and steepest—point, you can just make out the command post atop the hill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/26a8178c-8a97-4893-bfe8-efe9ec76d30e/DSC_1395.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Joseon Era command post at the highest point of Ganghwa Sanseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b002dc05-1952-4e16-8ce7-5fef41b0251e/DSC_1382.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Even on a hazy day, the views from the command post are incredible! The entire island of Ganghwa would have been clearly visible in those days. (Apologies for the speck of dust on the lens…it will survive there far longer than I care to admit!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b08510fd-3b3f-413b-b86a-2c4e8a9adaba/DSC_1404.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c2f36f48-f8dd-4cdb-8881-a45efdbde7e7/DSC_1408.JPG Korea - Make it stand out An amun, or secret gate in the wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b97ac13a-3956-4255-94da-c7b0a01398fd/DSC_1414.JPG Korea - Make it stand out At a certain point heading back down into the city, the wall becomes a bit unstable and you finally reach a point at which signs direct a detour. Not a bad thing for us as by this time it was quite hot, and a short stroll through the shade was nice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5159891b-304e-4280-af20-5871fa976af9/DSC_1415.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A water gate, allowing the stream to continue to flow to the city. At a time without running water…this was it, but protecting the portal remained important. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1364b235-46d3-4ad5-a4e9-a2ab91fd53e7/DSC_1418.JPG Korea - Make it stand out West Gate of Gangwhasanseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5f6e0e4e-6998-404c-ab02-0cd4820ff168/DSC_1425.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2e2683e9-7559-4ffe-a1b3-de5d05695138/DSC_1430.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The palace grounds remain—as expected—immaculate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dbda4790-6635-4de5-86c1-0a17c079fea9/DSC_1431.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The building inside are decidedly Joseon…in both architecture and color. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a2fb1949-903e-41fa-b70c-eb38e1b5b0e7/DSC_1434.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/941785f4-722b-4fcc-acce-2471d3267f40/DSC_1453.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The palace bell “tower”. The current bell housed inside is a replica. The original bell—from the Goryeo Era—is currently on display at the Ganghwa History Museum (also highly recommended!). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4dc12f65-0510-4001-a90b-79315fae50bd/DSC_1458.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b9edcf38-772a-41fb-ba35-ca4348333df1/DSC_1449.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7d4f2cc3-9e2f-4613-b8cc-0ab752b9e5f8/DSC_1423.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The sanseong command post as seen from the Goryeo Era palace site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f7e22616-4cde-448d-a8f2-5a1320c71760/DSC_1475.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dd92bcd8-27ec-40fb-9772-280adc530653/DSC_1474.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Beautifully reconstructed, Wolgotjin Fort was constructed on a promontory overlooking the Han and Imjin Rivers estuary. There was supposedly one more northerly stretch of Goryeo Era fortifications, but these are now essentially inaccessible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/97c35bf3-5caa-406e-bfc6-c367a9681761/DSC_1481.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7824d590-e3bd-4d2e-b89a-2961ffeeac13/DSC_1479.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A very interesting find at Wolgotjin. A Joseon Era military officer, General Hwanghyung, who’d had an amazingly successful career, was rewarded by the king, with Yeonmijeong Pavilion (inside Wolgotjin) and the right to build a house on the site. This stone marker indicates where his retirement home—a pension of sorts—was once located. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/670ff36f-a9c1-4c5b-aec3-304c40ee7d34/DSC_1488.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The circular bastion atop the highest point of the hill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b5afb469-cb91-4505-ac07-8c6c99e58a48/DSC_1494.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Gazing through the stone doorway toward Yeonmijeong Pavilion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/96338fc8-8a0f-4bca-9e9e-79ea3d5f28b8/DSC_1503.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Yeonmijeong Pavilion, overlooking the Han and Imjin Rivers estuary, provided a key observation point. It was the nearest point to the road to the capital at Kaekyeong, and as such, continued to be in use long after the Mongols had departed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e6b336ff-f58a-422b-954e-36c5fcf1877e/DSC_1525.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A quick survey of the surrounding territory. During the original Goryeo construction it was thought that points like Wolgotjin would have stretched into a continuous line of packed-earth fortifications all along the eastern coast of the island. It is likely, then, that the wall at the time stretched from this high point to the wooded hill mass visible to the south beyond the gate, and then on down the coast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5ce4a8c9-a32b-4296-8e33-f7415cd45c8d/DSC_1508.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The current form of Wolgotjin reflects the state of military affairs during the later Joseon era. These are cannon ports, allowing large (smoothbore) guns to be aimed at approaching ships. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/af9045f2-08a9-4f3e-a525-06fc52fcd350/DSC_1509.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The view from Wolgotjin. This is the Han and Imjin Rivers estuary. Consequently, the green area beyond the Imjin is actually North Korea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/29a0e8f2-4df1-4f20-a19a-7731d0746222/DSC_1531.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/89c3b840-2180-4f8e-b46d-68d4bebfc258/DSC_1551.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The defenses at Gapgotdon run down the hill to just above the waterline. Given the earthen nature of the original Goryeo fortifications, this seems a wholly Joseon innovation, though an imposing one. The stone wall running down to the coast must have presented a formidable looking obstacle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/46873c6d-c32d-497b-b5d4-f8225006c777/DSC_1554.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/37747dfa-2012-4c34-8a19-7cecc1d4e9b0/DSC_1559.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Munsusan, and the fortress built upon it, literally lies just across from Gapgotdon. The Joseon troops stationed there would have been able to observe everything the French were doing on Ganghwa Island. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/78c2a45a-94f0-4624-be00-3cb1d1080db6/DSC_1562.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A picture of the coast here. The mud flats surrounding most of Ganghwa Island is often remarked upon by those few accounts from invaders which have come down to us. Added to the fortifications ashore, this must have seemed an insurmountable obstacle to the Mongols across the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2fa9c958-52f5-4b52-8ff2-07cbbc8c92fc/DSC_1565.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Found this map of Ganghwa hiking trails posted at Gapgot. Nicely highlights the defensive works everywhere, but especially long the eastern coast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/755824e4-68ac-4f4c-8025-365741302806/DSC_1588.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cf7e6fbe-1854-48b7-8ea6-d69d3a16468f/DSC_1570.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/59c56d73-201f-4eb5-ac66-d1fbf86fc347/DSC_1574.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Essentially a circular stone fortification, with cannon ports—befitting a late Joseon Era bastion—facing the waterline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/af3352ee-fc85-4ab7-82ee-0c543988fde6/DSC_1583.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Again at Yongjinjin its easy to see this site tying into high terrain along the coast to the south, presenting a solid line of fortified heights to the Mongols across the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/759fc5dc-4859-4c0a-87ec-ba175f02acef/DSC_1593.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/584a1e3f-7a65-4101-89a9-98d301b7b108/DSC_1591.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Less than 100 meters off the main coastal road, we almost missed this one as foliage blocks it from view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cc0b3e0d-47d0-4c5e-acff-f23715427457/DSC_1595.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3e9bc63b-f59a-4d59-a267-1248b61de90c/DSC_1599.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Inside Yongdang Dondae. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b833863c-abad-41f7-8bfd-b3d016470144/DSC_1605.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9007e8cb-cd45-48ef-8bf5-c52e558fc443/DSC_1607.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8dce8fa1-b113-4abd-b590-ec7df6a1fe8b/DSC_1609.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Hwado is literally flat on top. No wall to hide behind, no gun ports…nothing. An odd “fortification”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fef18a5c-5de3-4d68-9f08-49035f1d19b3/DSC_1613.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The only real value in stopping at Hwado is to once more point out the difficulty posed by Ganghwa’s legendary mud flats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5bffe884-e952-4066-8174-2236a7512ad8/DSC_1616.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/de113309-0fad-4499-a27a-617b930ca3c4/DSC_1620.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Passing through the entryway at Odu, the cannon ports are immediately noticeable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6c879580-0546-47c2-8cd1-abc2f0998536/DSC_1622.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f4a53789-e575-45e6-9936-ffe2e88a7fee/DSC_1623.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/88e60d87-a57a-45b6-bda8-ac304f4068f2/DSC_1627.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a388207a-b88f-4db0-9261-626bc32a0ffc/DSC_1624.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The view from Odu. This point is very close—nearly within bowshot—to the Korean mainland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515838705798-822HL4DMPD9IELKLSF4D/DSC00330.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947086940-E9GVS8FPA86AH1CSREHM/DSC00298.JPG Korea Guide map of Chojijin posted at the site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947116007-7KQ0U7O41GMYRRM7NU7V/DSC00297.JPG Korea As the parked cars make clear, Chojijin--as with all the Ganghwa fortifications--are easily accessible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947151869-50CAW7XG1K9WD2R7VYFV/DSC00301.JPG Korea The only entrance into Chojijin. This is a really small fortification. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947193592-U87CPRN1A9P9NVELL4QK/DSC00306.JPG Korea Looking back at the only way in or out . . . https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947172351-4WD5B7I8S9VD7M4OYZYA/DSC00308.JPG Korea Cannon of this type, based on Chinese models of the period which were in turn copied from the West, constituted the primary weaponry of Chojijin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947228928-2AYYG1Y4AYKOCDTRNRMD/DSC00309.JPG Korea Gun revetment at Chojijin. Built into the wall itself, the walkway protected by crenelations goes right over the top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947298560-W3JUEFM2NWH0F0UWPCG5/DSC00310.JPG Korea View of the Han River from the revetment. The mud flats visible through this gun port will provide the assaulting U.S. Marines greater resistance than did Chojinin's meager garrison. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947316623-8H4IJ3A6RU808EBLO9YP/DSC00313.JPG Korea View inside Chojijin. The small red structure in the center would have been the command post for this fortification. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947495459-6E1OHUS9BNQ5AISL2PEU/DSC00327.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947367606-D9ELW7NVYFJLD468PIET/DSC00324.JPG Korea Now you can really see the mud flats that complicate any landing along the Han River side of Ganghwa Island. These were virtually an extension of the fortresses walls, creating a difficult-to-traverse zone within easy range of Chojijin's cannon and muskets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947458151-V5G8Z1TM5MM0GUN25YLR/DSC00300.JPG Korea And--having nothing at all to do with anything--directly across the river from Chojijin lies an old U.S. Landing Ship Tank (LST). Someday I'll go back and figure out what that's all about! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515838736700-4868RBSN1SFD6NY4ANNJ/DSC00353.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947624027-5OU0X10YO2XPY3A7AYLG/DSC00332.JPG Korea Guide map of Dokjinjin posted at the site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947655277-CHLZ0K9B580W1CG6HCFD/DSC00334.JPG Korea The main gate of Dokjinjin. Again, this structure is serviced by a fairly large parking lot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947704346-Q881JAREII48GVOOUPV9/DSC00342.JPG Korea External view of the main walls of Dokjinjin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947731555-71JQC4CVRLFOGVWU4LTM/DSC00344.JPG Korea More of the walls, this time looking back toward the gate complex. The Han River flows just to the right of this picture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947779277-24N291TAH6THHC3XT94N/DSC00351.JPG Korea And this--Namjang Battery--is why people visit Dokjinjin. While most guns in a coastal defense system are arrayed to execute what is called plunging fire from heights, this large battery of cannon is set at waterline, allowing even short shots to skip their way across the water to impact any ships sailing up the river. This provided a type of crossfire (level fire and plunging) that would have been very effective against shipping, likely the very reason the U.S. attacked from inland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947813767-ROXS8BZRGOHL19MHPB6L/DSC00354.JPG Korea Ground-level view of Namjang Battery and the many revetments therein. Note Dokjin Dondae, containing the plunging fire element of this nasty coastal defensive structure, up on the hill beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947866653-OE21D5OOVSIZL1Q6QDMJ/DSC00365.JPG Korea Approaching the angular Dokjin Dondae, the hill upon which it sits long since overgrown with trees and brush. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947909297-7VB5UMHH77UOGI071GUV/DSC00366.JPG Korea Entrance to Dokjin Dondae. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518947959359-XTR7B0YO8EPUU3DAD6BN/DSC00378.JPG Korea The view back north toward Namjang Battery from Dokjin Dondae. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948012739-NRSAEL8GKLM7FW1IS78E/DSC00389.JPG Korea External view of Dokjin Dondae gun revetment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948037295-35C28JV054027M7ZQYNM/DSC00388.JPG Korea Stone stele erected in 1876 by royal decree, warning that foreign ships are strictly forbidden to approach Joseon territory. It lies just below the walls of Dokjin Dondae. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515838361507-KYY1RAMT5ZVNNQDF1EFS/DSC00428.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948121704-F9OES87E4VID5XTDPZZE/DSC00395.JPG Korea Guide map of Gwangseongbo posted at the site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948150968-Z3VONFOEL72KDB6R5KVN/DSC00397.JPG Korea Primary gate of Gwanseongbo. Starting to get a feel for the Korean style of fortifications? There is a continuity of style at work here that makes Korean defensive structures fairly distinguishable from those of their neighbors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948185877-OYPUKSUR4O3N7VS57CFW/DSC00408.JPG Korea Inside Gwangseongbo. Note the cannon revetment in the left foreground and steps leading to the gate complex beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948207132-RBGCJPJST2YEV4SOKTSA/DSC00410.JPG Korea External view of the gate complex at Gwangseongbo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948250804-GLCDAL7PE6P8VEO7GVUK/DSC00423.JPG Korea Inside the circular Sondolmokdondae, scene of the climactic, if short-lived, battle between U.S. Marines and troops of the Joseon Army. Armed primarily with matchlock muskets and melee weapons, the defending force of some 300 men fought a sharp, hand-to-hand engagement, but were ultimately no match for the assaulting Marine infantry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948286673-K6MCGCKOA587GMJM1LVI/DSC00424.JPG Korea A long narrow wall snakes it's way out to Gwangseongbo's most distinctive feature, the fortified protrusion of stone jutting out into the Han River known as Yongdudondae. This scenic, fortified observation post offers incredible views up and down the river and was reconstructed in 1977. Artillery placed here further complicated any naval approach unsupported by ground troops. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948314687-MMC5GSX9VY3YC7NEZX8Z/DSC00425.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948335929-PS6TWY5ODIYM6K1E11UE/DSC00427.JPG Korea Nice view of Yongdudondae Observation Post. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948376860-DVWRTC91BWNXELO6Q7V8/image-asset.jpeg Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948413843-TL0BDZ5NXNDXHYPO591R/DSC00440.JPG Korea The tidal race below Yongdudondae is extremely fast, forming mini-whirlpools whenever the tide comes in or goes out. Yet one more obstacle in this 17th Century defense in depth! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948437381-S5TSUU85RRKRP7V6JSUX/DSC00441.JPG Korea North side of the walls leeading to Yongdudondae. The circular Sondolmokdondae occupies the crest of the hill in the background and was the scene of most of the fighting on June 11th, 1871. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948466949-ST5CURLE3II6JFYE6A3W/DSC00443.JPG Korea Gwangseongbo's small coastal defense battery. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948496677-EIC4905UDXXBNTPXTVHQ/DSC00445.JPG Korea Across from the revetments you can see just how narrow the Han has become at this point. Within that copse of trees across the way once lay Gwangseongbo's companion fort, the two structures intended to control this vital maritime chokepoint. I'm not sure whether or not anything remains on that side of the river, but its on my list of places to check out next time I'm back in Korea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948539922-I142KBINWY0V0UXF41VQ/DSC00451.JPG Korea A view from the battery to the north with Yongdudondae just visible on the far upper right edge of the picture. Sondolmokdondae is off to the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1515838387511-B3T8OKHZPAZWIP0RYGZH/DSC00282.JPG Korea https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948642229-YFUCE4NROZPSJFCWXHAA/DSC00295.JPG Korea We found Taekji Dondae by accident, but couldn't pass it by. This is the chihuahua of Korean fortifications and seems to have represented a lot of work and resources for what was essentially a company battle position. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948674498-LQZ0DCLOIGT0UANDFL00/DSC00290.JPG Korea Picture taken from one corner to the opposite showing just how small this fortress is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948750547-3BZY2TK4UTS52T3W9U4I/DSC00278.JPG Korea View from ground-level inside the diminutive bastion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1518948708244-NEGJ0A7QPX194GB50MR2/DSC00293.JPG Korea Still, the walls are steady and host the same crenelations visible on other Korean defensive walls and these mini-forts would have posed an obstacle--or at least an annoyance--for any force attempting to land and move in from the coast beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7a32f279-33cc-440e-8198-71c40e1e6c05/IMG_3519.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c92c359d-9c9b-4b10-9c7c-c6572f978605/IMG_3680.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Gumseoru Gate has become the primary entrance for today’s visitors, with its scenic approach and dramatic, climbing walls on both wings. Unsurprisingly it is brilliantly lit at night as well making for a spectacular scene. When the castle was in use, however, the Western Gate was less prominent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ce614f6b-a4e2-4033-9f89-475ea1902cd5/IMG_3539.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ca0ef9bf-a982-43b1-84a0-0dee5f65456f/IMG_3525.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/89babd2a-2885-452d-bcb8-d2358484a953/IMG_3546.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/880fbe3c-75eb-4aad-8ea5-f3ff48c35d26/IMG_3560.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Gongsanjeong Pavilion not only provided a scenic overlook of the beautiful Gum River below, but also acted as a command post for the western portion of the fortress when under attack. This is a fairly typical feature of Korean fortifications. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/707c34b8-d21b-4d68-8a37-958e834454af/IMG_3562.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The view of the Gum River from just below Gongsanjeong Pavilion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4c976a8e-2615-46ec-8303-c4a7937c99e7/IMG_3566.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This large bowl in the western half of Gongsanseong Fortress is where much of the Baekje Palace compound stood 1,800 years ago. Archaeological excavations have mapped out principal buildings and facilities, but you have to imagine all the grassy areas below were once covered in wood and tile buildings related to the king and his inner bureaucracy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3999b245-5444-4ec2-9dca-417540052f7e/IMG_3579.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Sometimes its easy to forget the conveniences we take advantage of everyday…but this was a Joseon Era refrigerator, in use until late in the 19th Century! Ice was harvested in the winter from the Gum River below and buried in this underground chamber, apparently keeping silkworms—a key local industry—cool well into April. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a8546f29-4e82-4176-9ca4-5806d0e7d592/IMG_3582.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Another incredible Joseon Era addition, Yeonji was a pond designed to provide a pleasurable area to rest, ideally at the Manharu Pavilion perched just above it. The pond would have been 9 meters deep when in use and the pavilion sat atop the northern wall, overlooking the Gum River as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bfa79e57-90a9-4761-aed2-51788d9ddf12/IMG_3597.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Some of the wall sections—especially leading to the eastern end of the fortress—are QUITE steep! This turned out to be quite the little hike! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1d877efe-f175-4685-8a8b-a04fa25f9ef1/IMG_3599.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The northeastern corner of the fortress once again rises high above the Gum River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/789afe26-f257-4781-b6d0-8ea722e01018/IMG_3602.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/058d8f3a-097e-49fe-bd94-f63b85a52a4a/IMG_3604.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5a57a04b-db09-4951-94b6-b83085cd8faa/IMG_3607.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A very interesting site within Gongsanseong. These stele memorialize the actions of three Ming Dynasty officials who contributed to the defense of Joseon Korea during the Imjin War 1592-98. The inscriptions made explicit mention of the Japanese invasion and the actions of Yi Gong, Imje, and Nambangwi in Korea’s defense. During the Japanese colonial period, these stele were defaced by Imperial troops, scratching out all mention of Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/aadb334a-49c4-4532-944b-f82e760d0ba4/IMG_3610.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Imryugak Pavilion served a dual purposes as well. It was a royal banquet hall in peace time, and served as the eastern command post when under attack. Pictures don’t do it justice…this thing is HUGE!! Imryugak was apparently constructed in the year 500, on the order of King Dongseong. It was reconstructed—true to the original design—in 1993. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e0bbf5f8-8a94-45fb-863e-68d8f0b39f6c/IMG_3618.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This picture, leading down to Yeongdongru Gate, gives a good idea of what rammed earth walls—absent their masonry outer layer—looked like. In the 5th Century A.D., the majority of Ungjinseong’s walls would have appeared like this. You will find similar walls in nearly all Korean Three Kingdom Era fortifications, including at Haengjusanseong just west of Seoul. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d696accf-c356-49bd-b471-dbfdb9313169/IMG_3622.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/afa46578-5013-48bf-8a3e-0a0e7c86136e/IMG_3634.JPG Korea - Make it stand out I felt the need to mention this. Water channels are cut everywhere within this fortress, carrying rain water from the high points of the fortress down into the royal ponds below. It’s quite an intricate system, and you find these channels everywhere inside the walls. They stick out in my mind as a key feature of Korean fortifications of the time and I remember seeing something similar at Kinojo in Japan…constructed in the 7th Century by castle builders from Baekje. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/67adc9f1-098e-4711-846a-196cbf530f64/IMG_3632.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Jinnamru Gate is different than the others. Built, or perhaps just modified, in the Joseon Era, it seems more ceremonial than practical. The wooden structure laying directly across an opening in finely cut stone struck me as odd. Then, when you take a step back you notice the ornate approach leading up to the gate, and just as impressively sculpted areas just inside and understand that this gate was built to impress. Can’t say that I’ve ever seen anything quite like it in Korea! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2937acc6-15e3-4e25-939a-0ee3cf58702e/IMG_3643.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Normal Korean gates—of any era—include a wooden superstructure over a stone base, but bare wood doesn’t usually span an opening like this. Generally, the roof of the portico is enclosed in stone as well and the wooden structure laid atop that. This was quite a unique feature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4dbd0f13-81be-408c-88a3-76eae6da9455/IMG_3636.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The inside of Jinnamru Gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f52490b2-d637-4886-95d8-af978dc95dd2/IMG_3649.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f79a6f7b-249c-4be2-a88c-343946897303/IMG_3656.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The final walk back down to Gumseoru Gate, with Gongsanjeong Pavilion above and beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8d750f9f-e966-477c-bac2-2532ee3a211f/IMG_5078.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3e3634be-95ba-478b-98e1-d8bbbc6d18fa/IMG_1241.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The reconstructed Baekje Royal Palace—called Sabigung—is well done, and gives a pretty good idea of the scale and, frankly, wealth amassed by the kingdom prior to its fall. This view faces the main gate to the palace compound beyond, with a pavilion on the rise behind it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/808456ec-50f6-45e0-9469-4747b40aa58a/IMG_1246.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The reconstructed temple complex, complete with five-story pagoda. Exquisitely done, this entire complex again provides the feel for life in the Baekje capital and royal precincts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9a3a0a18-d726-4548-9a0c-2b8adbba105f/IMG_1252.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The main courtyard of Sabigung, highlights the paved and raised central way leading to the King’s hall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9fc6fcfc-3618-4f0b-ac73-dbf7c0917ad4/IMG_1255.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Within that hall, the King of Baekje’s throne set up on the royal dais, backed by the symbol of Baekje. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bea7b029-d140-454e-b5dd-d4a4ad798d3c/IMG_1248.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Administrative buildings within the palace. This is where the generals and bureaucrats did their thing to keep the kingdom running and, preferably, safe from harm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/54e78568-22f4-4201-80de-008f803170ca/IMG_1232.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Within the museum itself, this wonderful terrain model of the city of Sabi as it might have appeared just prior to its fall. Taken from the north, the fortress of Busosanseong lies just south of the River with the city of Sabi sprawling to the south and east beyond. The long walls of Sabi were a wonder at the time both for their length and the cost it took to face them with cut stone. However, that long defensive line—and the need to man it—turned into a liability after the kingdom’s best troops were lost in a failed attempt to defeat the Silla-Tang alliance piecemeal, leaving the city without its stoutest and most effective defenders. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f3e4c20d-e511-4e0c-85ef-99537cc7bebc/IMG_1215.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Life-size dioramas depicting everyday life in Baekje fill the museum, making it both unique, and well worth the trip! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3822732c-5800-43cb-a1aa-ca7737067621/IMG_1221.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ccaeb998-c435-4e45-bf67-aea60417bbd9/IMG_1210.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6215bdc8-0187-4d83-bd26-e242039340b7/IMG_1295.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Behind the museum you find the reconstructed palace and temple…but behind the palace, there are a couple more historical sites worth at least strolling through. The first is a good representation of a Baekje-era village, highlighting both ends of the economic spectrum. As well, and not depicted here due to on-going renovations and a sudden, heavy downpour during our visit, is a much older exhibit depicting what appeared to be a Korean Bronze age fortified village. One of the reasons I’m dying to get back there! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7c2135bc-b132-41a8-913f-2f1acfe068b1/IMG_1280.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/255fcbc1-532b-4dc8-8bb0-b6ff38bc2e10/IMG_1282.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/78318b20-f3f3-4d81-8c0b-39ad8215bed7/IMG_1284.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/de9fedbd-d405-4779-90ef-f46cf3faf2c3/IMG_4214.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The last remaining (reconstructed) gate complex at Busosanseong, looking largely as it would have 1400 years ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5db623fc-273c-429d-868f-4821a3af106f/IMG_4284.JPG Korea - Make it stand out An interesting display we didn’t notice until we departed Busosanseong two hours after entering was laid into the brickwork in front of the gate. These names and dates represent each of Baekje’s kings from the very beginning of the kingdom in 18 B.C. to its violent demise in 660 A.D. My pictures don’t do it justice, as its actually quite nicely done. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d47e868c-5351-42b4-84b7-712d57b0de08/IMG_4215.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Cartoon map of Busosanseong highlighting key points of interest and the maze of trails (and fortifications) criss-crossing the hill mass. Baekje, Goryeo, and Joseon all built fortifications or other military facilities on this site, each with their own security needs and aesthetic desires in mind. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9cdf3e49-3a7e-4b10-b9ac-c7d4ac88f2d0/IMG_4223.JPG Korea - Make it stand out An interesting compound I didn’t realize was on Busosanseong till we started hiking. The Samchungsa shrine memorializes three Baekje officials whose advice the last king ignored, leading to the tragic destruction of Sabi—and the kingdom—in 660. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ed6c8d69-d858-490d-becb-1b8eab077f8f/IMG_4224.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Samchungsa honors two civilian ministers and General Gyebaek who, against his own advice, was ordered to lead 5,000 elite troops east into the narrow mountain passes to face 50,000 soldiers from Silla marching on Sabi. Gyebaek did his duty, falling during the last of four battles he fought against Silla in the Sobaek Mountains. His absence—and that of the kingdom’s finest troops—would be sorely missed when Sabi came under siege. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/257aa812-d19a-4a7b-a368-84b0d276659b/IMG_4251.JPG Korea - Make it stand out There are several pavilions located on Busosanseong, none of which actually belongs there. In each case these were relocated from elsewhere by occupying Imperial Japanese troops at the end of the 19th Century. That said, each of the sites that currently hosts a pavilion originally had one of their own, used for the usual dual purpose of rest and relaxation in peace time, and as command posts during war. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/860bb8d3-616c-4066-a350-8923f890608c/IMG_4236.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The walls of Busosanseong are of the unimproved, packed earth variety, best viewed from the side. These ramparts run for miles on the hill and would have been topped with wooden battlements for further protection and greater defense. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b85cc2e7-a5b6-4506-a233-bffd6e0661cd/IMG_4233.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7264e7c2-200a-492e-baf6-b9426d83809c/IMG_4261.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The scenic Baekhwajeong Pavilion, overlooks a sad scene from the 660 A.D. fall of Sabi. It was from the cliffs just beneath this pavilion that the court ladies committed mass suicide by jumping into the river below rather than allow themselves to be taken prisoner. The site remains one of the better known events from Korea’s Three Kingdoms period and continues to conjure up vivid imagery amongst Koreans to this day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/01b92ca6-9378-438a-9bba-e9f034e3ed6b/IMG_4260.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Geum River (here and in the next pic) lies quite a way below the cliffs. Probably not high enough to kill a jumper, the weight of courtly attire would have nonetheless quickly drowned the aristocratic ladies taking that final leap. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3cc715fd-3171-46ab-8a06-d97cc8bbfe1c/IMG_4270.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3c7cd559-52a3-4b92-953f-863a3cfd137a/IMG_4277.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A reminder to us that Busosanseong—like many Korean historical sites—remains an active archaeological site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e737d392-792d-4adc-ba8d-59a3b3cec682/IMG_4279.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The shards of pottery uncovered here continue to yield secrets previously forgotten about how the rulers and people of Baekje lived and, ultimately, died. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9a220d9e-a4bc-4cc3-a155-7e73146cdef2/IMG_4287.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6986b9f7-a9c4-4608-9257-6e5c8949ceba/IMG_4285.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3f8c733c-9089-471c-ac6a-65be61368934/IMG_4291.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Just beyond the tombs—using the parking lot as a reference point—you stumble upon the foundations of Goranamji, what used to be a fairly impressive temple complex sandwiched between the burial ground and the outer face of Nanseong. The “window” above was, I thought, a lovely way to present a bit of Korean history and architecture long, long gone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/22cdeefd-225e-474d-aec1-4209ecf6d49c/IMG_4299.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/526e54ef-6093-4ba8-8606-9bbfd93a0b72/IMG_4312.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Unique amongst the many walls I’ve visited in Korea, this would have been one of the earliest attempts at strengthening packed dirt ramparts with stone, and it displays a certain simple approach to the nonetheless incredible engineering task. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6df21b29-9d37-4ce8-bfe0-b4a656bf3ec3/IMG_4304.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Nanseong runs up and over the hill behind the royal tombs . . . can’t tell you how much I wanted to follow it into the woods! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a5cd95d2-f18f-4242-b787-c9900f8ffb48/IMG_4315.JPG Korea - Make it stand out As well, it continued across the valley until cut by the modern roadway to the east. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f37892f7-5148-48c9-b466-bf0d42a10b71/IMG_4297.JPG Korea - Make it stand out On the far side of the road, however, you can see the wall picks up and continues its circuitous path to the river. Would love to have the time someday to walk the entire length! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e2e9ef4f-ad69-4bcf-b124-f4f95c9f9c70/IMG_4321.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/78db9499-c2fb-4fed-890d-6ecb5e12e10f/IMG_4359.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c8ace90c-bb5c-4b3d-a05b-2c3cdb8e2e9d/IMG_4345.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f7b35458-c949-4f94-a8c3-95a3aed0938e/IMG_4346.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/76292470-08b6-4186-8113-302755292e4c/IMG_4366.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9870243e-6781-4ee5-a0d0-61a99dd2b886/IMG_4334.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A simple reminder here that keeping things as they were in medieval times often requires maintenance to be done much as it was 1400 years ago. These ladies are working hard—up to their waists in pond water—to keep this old site simply gorgeous. Hat’s off, ladies! Job well done. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2b98220c-51ac-4915-a945-92252c35e5ba/IMG_4373.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/315f32b1-0813-4d11-8a00-31bebd2d55a1/IMG_4376.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/585d45aa-7ae8-42d0-9e21-74b1bd823ec2/IMG_4383.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Baekje temples are characterized by the presence of stone pagodas like the one at Jeongnimsaji. Much larger than it looks from a distance, the proportions are actually quite impressive given the period in which it was erected. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8e298bda-375c-4737-8b5c-41c37b2c0181/IMG_4381.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The lecture hall of Jeongnimsaji houses a very old stone representation of the Buddha. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/30f5679f-ad85-4570-810c-e047e9b7f79c/IMG_4388.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A rough depiction, to be sure, but the ring of lotus leaves along the base give away the identity of the figure sitting on the pedestal above. This statue has been dated to the 6th Century, though the head and hat had to be replaced much later after partial destruction resulting from a temple fire. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fd5ef114-a82c-4927-80ac-723119014b7d/IMG_4394.JPG Korea - Make it stand out And this is why I love history so much! Truth can be so much stranger than the most incredible fiction. Here, on the face of the lowest level of the stone pagoda, the victorious Tang army left an inscription, intent to rub the noses of the people of Baekje in their defeat. 1400 years later its virtually impossible to read, but the parts that are legible—in Chinese, of course—sing the self-styled praises of the Tang Dynasty troops and their General, Su Dingfang. Interestingly—and to show how connected the region was even then—Su Dingfang would die in 667, during a defensive campaign against the Tibetans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/aa4af81a-b935-48fe-90fb-bf95977e1b29/20250121_134602.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0eeac674-dac4-494f-a12d-d9568f02eaf9/20250121_134631.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c3080cc1-1e9e-402d-ab07-41af9acdffcf/20250121_134610.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4b19bfb6-5ec1-410f-a3e5-2d117b810085/DSC_9715.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/efaf2c4e-17b0-4552-bdca-43b3d93fbdc9/DSC_9716.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/782b84c1-a7a9-4512-871f-fc0dfc8d15b2/20250121_134656.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f326c16b-cc83-4060-8e17-75e169d5961c/IMG_4007.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b00e30d7-aa0e-4ce5-8543-b4159bab6963/IMG_3850.JPG Korea - Make it stand out From the valley floor, there’s no real sense of uniqueness, though the stonework is certainly striking from a distance. In fact, during the drive up one is tempted to be let down due to the relatively small size of the fortification, a mere 1,800 meters in circumference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3b866291-4892-4c40-a55d-52fa875a6b44/IMG_3854.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Yet as you make the short climb up to the West Gate, you quickly gain an appreciation for the sheer size of these walls. And not just the height—well over 15 meters—but also the width of the walls, a sense of which can be gained here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6c37f737-d6ef-45fc-a768-a3acd4df554d/IMG_3871.JPG Korea - Make it stand out By the time we climbed a bit toward the North Gate, I was already in awe of what had been built here. And to be honest, I’ve never seen its like in Korea! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/514867d7-0f32-4bce-b3ea-2913a9a2d8d7/IMG_3874.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The rounded turrets—there once were a total of seven—were placed to provide additional protection at the castle’s most vulnerable points. Two of these turrets remain intact, recovered really, as the east wall facing the valley and main thoroughfare below were clearly the first priority. That said, the contrast at Samnyeonsanseong between reconstructed and ruined wall sections are instructive and add a visual yardstick to help imagine the ruined sections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/62f86dc3-a2d6-47bc-9e52-211d7402f036/IMG_3876.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The walk up in either direction from the West Gate is fairly steep, and the heavy brush swallows up much of the wall going up the north side. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/18a9833b-c9fc-4d80-9f33-fdd107d90b71/IMG_3880.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Hiking toward the Northern Gate, the walls in their ruined state start to emerge once again from the heavy foliage. 1,500 years of weather, wars, and gravity certainly takes its toll! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8787b60d-81da-42aa-8be0-8609077892d2/IMG_3888.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Yet that was nothing compared to the state of the northeastern wall! These walls at this point are about 20 meters high, and the collapse along the outer face was quite impressive to behold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e93cbdec-5474-4ce5-9c99-bc9dc12ed533/IMG_3899.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is the collapsed Northern Gate, taken from the stone platform just outside the fortress, looking in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/77df53fb-0146-489e-8a5d-938ba0e7af95/IMG_3905.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Picture taken straight up at the towering wall above us. The other side of this wall was the collapsed portion in the previous picture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3283d4d4-b622-4eae-89a4-dc29db608ea5/IMG_3922.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Eastern Gate, leading down to another valley. The thickness of the stone walls are quite unique, and it was said that construction required 10 million stones…which to me seemed like a gross underestimate! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/676eea96-ec32-43f5-ae9b-14187b931ffa/IMG_3932.JPG Korea - Make it stand out “Imposing” is not a strong enough word to describe the outer wall at the Eastern Gate. Aside from the water drainage feature near the center of the picture…I’ve just never seen castle construction like this in Korea! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/594ee59b-e28f-4fe1-9341-36bbd52896d1/IMG_3915.JPG Korea - Make it stand out From the heights just above the Eastern Gate looking west across the castle grounds, you can see just how small this fortress is. There was once a pond within which captured runoff rain water and served as a water source. As well, you can just make out a subtle plateauing of the landscape within the walls, which would have facilitated the construction of necessary support structures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/40562067-4704-41e9-b9b9-ea1d6cb1a6c9/IMG_3942.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Ruined section of the southeastern wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0b70b0a5-d897-4861-9ac3-f18ad1b21976/IMG_3954.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5de2237d-ec28-472f-ab6c-662cf9f77bd8/IMG_3950.JPG Korea - Make it stand out By this point it was beginning to dawn on me that the walls at Samnyeonsanseong were built of solid stone. There was no evidence in any of the ruins of a fill layer characteristic of castle construction at the time. Also different from the many Baekje fortresses we’ve visited this year, this one was clearly built from the very beginning with stone, and wasn’t another rammed earth and timber fortification simply clad in stone later on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9487f15c-b5ee-43a0-b8a5-79fdd5734e68/IMG_3977.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The turn at the South Gate leads directly downhill to a beautiful view of the West Gate below. Highlighting once again the “good side” of this absolute beauty! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1e813f50-22b9-4884-9b3f-9a2c4ebe9134/IMG_4000.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/96b04e00-3452-4cd4-a947-da552b579e0e/DSC_1739.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4e38ba8b-d214-4743-bdef-1a20ea576efb/DSC_1695.JPG Korea - Make it stand out After an hour’s walk, we finally got a glimpse of Chungjusanseong. Having begun to doubt the state of this fortress after finding it so remote, I was thrilled to see it in such glorious shape! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0784fe3e-b5c8-42ba-b714-b2f3c8d2e446/DSC_1712.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The East Gate has no stone approach and—as with all gates at Chungjusanseong—was designed to be only accessible by ladders raised from within. The stairs pictured here provide access from what used to be a parking lot before the access road was closed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/09018a42-9ce1-4fa9-979e-8efe76dbd2f8/DSC_1737.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Never quite seen anything like this reservoir inside a Three Kingdoms Era mountain castle (sanseong). Yet there’s really no indication that any of the succeeding dynasties made any improvements to this fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/977be75a-3090-4849-8248-3ceea18d9b73/DSC_1738.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The walls are high and, as was usually the case during the Three Kingdoms Era, devoid of crenelations or battlements. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/340d8b12-b7fc-4c44-8fc3-30cafd1a2334/DSC_1761.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Even the collapsed wall sections appeared to be in pretty good shape, again making me wonder how much modern plastic surgery had been done to give this beauty a facelift. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/db55bdbb-be4a-4492-9734-c988535c5c07/DSC_1756.JPG Korea - Make it stand out North Gate with another five meter or so drop off to the trail head beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e1769711-6720-44c6-92ef-d13dd130a764/DSC_1763.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Nothing really remains of the West Gate, though it seemed to link to another hiking trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/114ac3a6-a403-4a87-8382-e4560d3e7f50/DSC_1777.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The views from Chungjusanseong were amazing, even on a hazy day. The entire city of Chungju is laid out before you. Chungju was a favorite target during the Mongol invasions (1231-1270), and conducted three separate sieges of that walled city. Yet despite the hardship imposed, the residents never capitulated. Note: the left end of the large, dark green patch roughly mid-photo is actually Tangeumdae, where General Sin Rip’s army was destroyed by Japanese invaders in 1592. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dfd9fb23-2dc0-4ccb-8bc1-07bb9af9ae01/DSC_1783.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Coming up on the North Gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/65d42e0b-438b-4432-b467-a6e6b1fedc15/DSC_1790.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking into the North Gate from another set of wooden stairs. The drop off outside this gate is less severe and appeared to link to another hiking trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fce5fb9b-8e46-4631-b4a5-7f74d8b19d05/DSC_1730.JPG Korea - Make it stand out I’ve mentioned this before at Three Kingdoms Era castles—and derivative fortifications from 7th Century Japan—but the builders paid much attention to the efficient drainage of water from upslope. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/34e52bb3-ba9b-4d26-b8a0-b364b0f17f05/DSC_1733.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This stone-lined drainage ditch helped keep run-off water from undermining stone walls, allowing water to pass harmlessly through. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e4560990-f579-4aec-a732-92c52a199b37/DSC_1713.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Water drainage spout along the Eastern wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/98b6e549-fb5b-47d0-9a10-b78c59bb88ec/DSC_1820.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Some sections of the wall are just spectacular! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/86ffcd80-43ed-4469-8d25-0c56af428dc2/DSC_1838.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The castle is only about 1.2 kilometers around, making it small for the time. Yet the difficulty required to reach the site mitigated against the need for a huge fortress and subsequently large garrison. This view looks down upon the East Gate and reservoir. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f60eadc3-a2b5-4006-bdad-8fc7e8a38184/DSC_1855.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The East wall is truly impressive, easily twenty meters high! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d1e84a2c-24a0-43d3-8718-8033ab6cb674/DSC_1868.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c5c0e02c-af5b-4b2f-ab9c-b878a678f39d/DSC_1874.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The South Gate of Deokjusanseong is most noticeable, as the wall would have stretched from cliff to cliff, effectively blocking the narrow valley. Currently there’s a break in the reconstructed wall to allow for vehicle traffic along the valley floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8997e69f-7ed1-49a4-9b3e-85bddefe5919/DSC_1872.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ae5edd63-3b37-4cd1-9628-208a3e8df472/DSC_1915.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Deokjusanseong is surrounded by the natural beauty of Woraksan National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6c410bf9-3cec-4527-b327-41a5eea11379/DSC_1901.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The wall leading west from the South Gate disappears into thick vegetation, but clearly moves up the hill at a pretty steep rate. It looks to have been newly renovated. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/75b8379b-1ce5-4528-befa-f2debcfc29ef/DSC_1902.JPG Korea - Make it stand out That said, there’s only so far you can follow it before you reach warning signs. Still…maybe someday! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9bc322ec-19f9-4f51-999a-6fa66b5d45be/DSC_1918.JPG Korea - Make it stand out To the east of the South Gate, the wall once ran down to the cliff visible here, though I have my suspicions it actually angled back to the left edge of the picture. Regardless, it would have required a water gate there since there’s a stream just beyond the lower trees pictured above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7be5e5a0-7382-4a6f-b9c3-e34adebd6ffe/DSC_1893.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0556c744-1b12-498e-ac24-e30806097bb5/DSC_1906.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/add112f6-2b5a-432b-a9d2-e864e7e32a84/DSC_1935.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The East Gate is about halfway up the hill toward Deokjusa Temple and completely caught us by surprise. There’s not a lot of information available related to Deokjusanseong so the entire experience was essentially discovery learning. But this site was pretty cool as the third “line” of fortifications going up the hill had this gate as its entry control point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4da0fae0-7079-4abd-b5e8-b0004fed551c/DSC_1975.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Across the road, a very visibly solid stone wall (not masonry lined packed earth) rises with the steep terrain before disappearing uphill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8d91dbc9-2561-4d89-b12b-42865ca0f683/DSC_1947.JPG Korea - Make it stand out It really is quite an impressive construct! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/698471e9-9ecc-4a21-bd2d-78d05911dfb4/DSC_1966.JPG Korea - Make it stand out I couldn’t find any signs, but it seems likely to me what you’re seeing here was the original path uphill to the temple, long before the paved road to the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1315b6d2-fec4-464d-87b8-1a01af6d2f48/DSC_1977.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6f505033-4696-4cf8-b454-e4f169377f5d/DSC_1949.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Across the road the mountain stream trickles its way downhill, providing another sample of the incredible scenic beauty all around this place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fe7e2d4e-7d2d-44c8-95eb-b61b9cd16ce3/DSC_1983.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The stairs leading up to Deokjusa Temple. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/63b1dbae-9333-4f5a-a5e5-833fdf17171b/DSC_1981.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b9b16ab4-9250-4681-9f95-fd3d97634ea4/DSC_1987.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The main temple hall of Deokjusa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7520596b-c50d-401b-a4af-8fcb9850486c/DSC_2009.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f2694c09-446b-46bd-9e0d-0435a12d0d15/DSC_2012.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c8e8f136-186c-4114-9b49-f27da56f8e7c/DSC_1999.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Again, its easy to understand why the monks chose this spot, as its simply incredible! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/891ce246-73f4-4ee2-a80b-f329481738e6/DSC_1992.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d6b30d8f-16d4-462f-8c30-5851d4d0a00c/DSC_2023.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/10e2082c-4b6b-426e-b380-7c025df0aab9/DSC_2041.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The North Gate stands alone with rural houses built all around it. It’s so nondescript—since none of the attached wall sections have survived—that we nearly missed it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c6a35874-b642-464d-a477-4061383cbffa/DSC_2037.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The wall crawling west from the North Gate would have anchored on the cliffs across the valley and its shallow stream. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8c4590e1-ed82-4d99-abe0-f9fd62bfbce2/DSC_1930.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This little vacation nook definitely made the list of places to which we intend to return. Both to more fully explore the existing wall sections that zig-zag their way up the mountain, but also to partake in the “pension” (cabin) type accommodations for which the area is famous. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/90c473ef-c6d5-430e-b6c7-e000e711f34a/DSC_2042.JPG Korea - Make it stand out One branch of Chungju Lake. Passed by it so many times that day, we finally had to stop and snap a few pics. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3ea88408-26b5-419a-b84b-2ffad2e4d066/DSC_2058.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7cb9d90d-3bdb-4bc2-8983-b795b189ce7a/DSC_2055.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a884bef5-5c7e-42a3-8902-d988cf569a98/DSC_2056.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/21396336-8a73-42c3-acf2-cde97cc49ea3/DSC_2064.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The restored wall is quite elegant. It’s difficult to put my finger on it exactly, but there was something different about this Goguryeo fortification. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c157021c-e158-4f2b-b579-805b7d7bd238/DSC_2061.JPG Korea - Make it stand out On the inside of the wall there is a small masonry step up onto the parapet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/01ad1e27-7068-447d-b313-50a931b9be77/DSC_2073.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a4fb5635-0a0e-4439-8c64-79e12704f14a/DSC_2086.JPG Korea - Make it stand out We found multiple grave sites within Jangmisanseong. This one was the most picturesque. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3b4d555a-7692-4032-a9f8-be8696c7c66c/DSC_2087.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Remnant of the parapet on the heights above the temple. The external face of the wall here is in pretty bad shape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4fe9487b-f655-48fe-936f-ad081f056dd8/DSC_2095.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The view from Jangmisanseong is quite beautiful, despite the poor visibility. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/de0676d5-5064-4ab2-aeb5-af0b6e35e6b3/DSC_2091.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Much of the wall making up Jangmisanseong is in disrepair or has been completely overgrown by vegetation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/76346206-7ac9-420a-b1a3-03baaa722f38/DSC_2081.JPG Korea - Make it stand out That said, the surviving views are quite memorable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/be658990-e8db-4ad6-a0bb-3e2abf2616ec/DSC_2109.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/edac2245-99d5-45cb-bf6a-fe3f0b96e958/DSC_2105.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a4ff25b0-17ac-4ee1-a6ab-6f896979477b/DSC_2128.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a894cc35-dbd3-4866-8104-94654fed6034/DSC_2122.JPG Korea - Make it stand out As usual…the scenery surrounding this sanseong is incredible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/38bc4e8b-e7dc-4de9-be59-f7e923ec21c3/DSC_2145.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This very interesting stretch of wall resembles the fully stone construct at Samnyeonsanseong, though it still lays flat with the parapet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e2aa02dd-3eda-45db-827b-e59bd048581e/DSC_2151.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The different colored stone hints at the reconstruction work done. It blends nicely and maintains the continuity of the elegantly curved walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/63a4b8f5-347f-47e1-a7ea-e8e765e7d77e/DSC_2158.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8dd99e43-d1f5-41a9-92a3-ea0fe78dbe89/DSC_2161.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A small gate…or what’s left of it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/332cf15d-cdfa-4bef-9221-be48ba68f1a9/DSC_2163.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f5ac0618-2355-4727-bf1a-0863bbc98c9e/DSC_2171.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6991d1d8-14be-4e30-88bb-e0b7ff9bf41c/DSC_2183.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Another stretch of very thick masonry. This one goes on for several hundred meters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c73e16eb-1f10-4450-9782-cccfc286d37f/DSC_2193.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9884f4b5-22ac-4844-b3d4-8a25b98d3cf7/DSC_2196.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/505b247a-f76a-4f6b-9d7b-bec3686c4d49/DSC_2192.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8a5d36ca-9fd2-4135-a632-2a2239201451/DSC_2209.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dacda8a3-7924-438d-8869-690587758883/DSC_2229.JPG Korea - Make it stand out It was difficult to capture, but this is the point at which two walls meet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/56298ce5-e139-40f1-9ea3-60b6b9e543a0/DSC_2222.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A small gate marks the junction of the two walls, allowing access to the inner area. The outer wall heads down the hill into pretty thick vegetation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/caf1dcbb-e3b5-495e-a935-47b26ae05273/DSC_2224.JPG Korea - Make it stand out After a while you can barely make out the stone glacis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/131ce8b6-ef2f-44d1-ae27-f7effd73f798/DSC_2243.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Back to what we believed to be the middle wall. The thickness of the masonry atop the parapet continued to fascinate us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9722fad1-1823-4eae-bf10-7bc141965fd1/DSC_2252.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A stone structure atop an incredible overlook was quite unique. We thought it might simply be the foundation stones for a pavilion, but a sign nearby indicated it was actually a tower for cannon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/91b4ae68-e32b-4de2-b306-c12386743b49/DSC_2270.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The wildflowers everywhere on Jukjusanseong were blooming, but nowhere were they as decorative as this section of wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c1b03a4c-9c10-429b-ab79-3c4e61cfdf23/DSC_2283.JPG Korea - Make it stand out As usual, Korean fortresses made careful use of hydrology, allowing garrisons to hold out much longer than enemies generally thought possible, greatly aiding the ability of defenders to hold their ground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/816c55e5-a436-4e48-b70e-115723668902/DSC_2299.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Reconstruction of the water reservoirs at Jukjusanseong bears out the interesting design and careful water management. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/41c7e383-33cf-4c98-a3d2-a08eeaa5cd7a/DSC_2320.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The final reservoir was, apparently, a koi pond made famous during the siege. After several failed assaults the Mongols settled down to wait out the defenders, thinking them short on water. Goryeo General Song Munju reportedly had a fat koi fish plucked from the pond and delivered to the Mongol commander…hinting at their adequate supplies of water. The Mongols, their plans frustrated, lifted the siege and withdrew, saving the entire garrison. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/99e60b86-eadc-46d4-b004-b7750b9ecfb5/DSC_2280.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7c81452e-9c5b-49f4-84ee-5f567ee67e17/DSC_2292.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A shrine to General Song graces the inside of this fortress. A memorial service recognizes General Song’s victory every year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/62b440ea-474b-4a05-aaa1-54e697d1ecec/DSC_2361.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b4601c48-93d3-456e-8d03-5d66b4553e63/DSC_2367.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The main or West Gate pictured here and above is the most prevalent feature. Given this fortress’s purpose, one can imagine swarms of naval crews passing through this gate to the sound of warning gongs, bells, and drums, rushing to man their warships in response to some distant warning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/275c8da8-e8a5-47ef-be90-6951954aeef4/DSC_2376.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Some of the internal trails—above the village itself—are pretty overgrown, but the trail is clear to the South Gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d82a1cbf-a1cd-4c2a-a267-09f1efc2b9de/DSC_2381.JPG Korea - Make it stand out What remains of the South Gate of Anheungjinseong, approaching from inside the fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3d4b04ec-1d05-4596-81c8-1d3ee948ee91/DSC_2382.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fb7999f5-8864-456f-a71b-1ef69b0e4454/DSC_2383.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A view of the southwestern wall from atop the South Gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e8f89ee2-1ab3-4255-b2b4-e627ed8516bd/DSC_2385.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The view—despite the hazy summer conditions—was quite spectacular, unsurprising given the large number of islands off Korea’s western coast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fc55febf-ba38-49c8-858a-82b7af6d0d4c/DSC_2402.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Anheungjinseong’s North Gate looks out over the valley to the North. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bb29ad45-7145-468e-97cb-eea3b35779f8/DSC_2409.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A view from in front of the North Gate looking toward the northwestern section of fortress wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/86085694-1742-4443-bf32-d7ee9425a860/DSC_2414.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The valley north of Anheungjinseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/599fcfbc-c35b-4bfd-9e87-86ab524b44f8/IMG_4665.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f6709e15-d28c-4c60-b9df-d74b7031987b/IMG_4588.JPG Korea - Make it stand out First view of the fortress coming up through the thick underbrush of the steep hill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e49a29ab-9d36-4f26-9394-0ac6766459c7/IMG_4592.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9bdd944d-7685-44f8-af9d-76b773aed9d5/IMG_4601.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking up along the southwestern wall, you can just see the pavilion nestled in the trees atop the hill. A modern construction, the original would likely have been taller, allowing a fuller view of the lower sections of the fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2cd0c702-19c0-4bbb-9948-02401c5372ae/IMG_4619.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Eastern Gate taken from inside the fortress. It seems likely this was the fortress’s primary entrance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/902e489a-4651-4ed2-a35d-7f415b24addf/IMG_4679.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking from just inside the Eastern Gate toward the Southern Gate. The turf atop the walls seemed to me patently un-Silla from the period and would seem to indicate the presence of dirt “fill” within interior and exterior stone faces of the wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bbeb4b39-f09b-42d7-946b-4bf9c81f0bec/IMG_4626.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Characteristic of Korean Three Kingdom fortress construction is the ever-present attention paid to water management. Here you can clearly see the masonry-lined drainage to the left, with masonry “steps” guiding additional run-off water from the parapet back into the channel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e5be3e35-8aa3-4a79-ae05-4bc16ce4e90f/IMG_4650.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Northern Gate includes a small cistern to catch run-off drainage from the fortress height and channel it out the gate, a fairly unique innovation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/32f60c6f-f910-43ea-9062-2c98a248859f/IMG_4689.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The external drainage—where all that channeled water would eventually exit the fortress—along the massive and impressive southern wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/baf58d1f-3d5a-4584-a61b-4c3788d9b522/IMG_4594.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The flat-rock construction of the castle walls is evident in the rounded wall section that gives Ondal Fortress its distinctive appearance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a56f00b5-cb51-4ee5-9ac5-af3eb2dfc379/IMG_4634.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The fill visible in a collapsed section of northeastern wall renewed my faith in the current hypothesis regarding fortress origin. Like at Samnyeonsanseong, it appears to be solid rock, and not earth fill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/766300b4-9b10-4e44-9eab-cf108519ef20/IMG_4638.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Ondal Sanseong features a raised ridge that runs down the elongated shape of the fortress like a spine. The trees make it appear to be natural, but closer inspection at least hints at the presence of a flat-rock construction underlying the soil. If man-made, this spine would have provided a wonderful second line of defense—almost like a castle keep in western fortresses—with which to defend the walls. This picture is taken from that raised spine, looking down upon the elegantly curved Southern Gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/db4e664f-ae44-48c8-b67d-499a28f5f36d/IMG_4646.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Approaching the Northern Gate from the fortress height. The sandstone-colored rocks piled up inside the wall are believed to be defensive projectiles brought up to the castle from the river bed down in the valley. They are grouped together at intervals along the wall but the single greatest concentration is here. It’s unclear whether they were discovered in that location or collected and placed there during reconstruction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/156308eb-e753-498c-a2ad-d9fafcd7bf3d/IMG_4659.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The view from the pavilion atop the fortress. A wooden command post would have likely been constructed here as—with all trees removed—all three gates would be visible from this site. That said, it’s likely the command post would have been raised as this low position obstructs the view of the Southern Gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7ba26c59-3208-44de-848d-b41c15043805/IMG_4663.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b40ae8cb-3ebc-46b4-8cf1-e99965c564f0/IMG_4675.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ca60355a-cc7b-47cf-81d7-f4e7ef3b3886/IMG_4740.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9fdc5d95-adf8-4083-bf4b-adaa107bd7ea/IMG_4711.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Danyang Jeokseong’s eastern wall is visible from the parking lot as well as from the Danyang expressway rest stop nearby. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/86b25c1e-ff45-4f0f-b35e-e1fc8c59b73b/IMG_4712.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dec2b1ee-3ed8-49d2-8ff4-74227c7da71a/IMG_4720.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Sections of the wall appear through the foliage and appear consistent with Silla construction seen elsewhere throughout the Namhan River Valley. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c9439482-8a7f-404b-9e02-6fa9cf2f80dc/IMG_4722.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3c14af08-db79-4701-bd50-ad94f19eca22/IMG_4725.JPG Korea - Make it stand out An interesting feature of this fortress is a stone memorial erected between 545 and 550 A.D. Called the Jeokseongbi, this memorial stone was erected on the orders of the Silla General who seized the Jeokseong region from Goguryeo. The writing offers early evidence of military information operations in that it praises the actions of a local man named Yaicha—formerly a subject of Goguryeo—in the cause of Silla’s conquest, and promises future rewards to anyone who assists the Kingdom of Silla in the future. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2cbbfe20-be0e-412e-a20b-4203af2eb634/IMG_4730.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The reconstructed section of the wall and gate as well as the incredible scenery evident everywhere in Eastern Chungcheong Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0740c0a9-51e9-41bb-958b-448d8210bc7a/IMG_4741.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A view from the gate looking west to where the wall section disappears into the overgrowth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cc45ac7d-dc2d-4886-8529-248dd9e6eb35/IMG_4734.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking out through the Northern Gate into the mountains and a second trail-head leading up to the fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1d84e0af-9c67-4292-952e-c0bff8ccfd17/IMG_4743.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The northeastern wall section as it descends back toward the parking lot from the gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7fc36aff-82f0-4e23-a033-37c6eb692bef/IMG_4759.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A completely rebuilt section of the wall is visible in the lighter stone seen here. Legend says the space between the wall and inner high ground was widened and flattened to allow the riding of horses within the fortress walls, though when this might have happened is unclear. As at Ondal Sanseong, the raised spine running lengthwise down the middle of the fortress would have provided an excellent platform from which to loose arrows at an attacker beyond the wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/de00553d-6220-4589-b107-d9c6bc0e225d/IMG_4766.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Most of the wall sections at Danyang Jeokseong look like this at best, long-since collapsed and overgrown. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/93005213-3f56-413f-9c16-1a53499cf686/IMG_4768.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The inner embankment across the flattened area would have provided nice second layer of defense within the fortress for anyone breaching the wall below, by far the least steep approach to the fortress. The Jeokseongbi is visible atop that inner embankment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/10a53cf5-d607-4946-9f47-85b74e2a9779/DSC_2904.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a541cc46-63ac-48cc-82bd-babc75f422f8/DSC_2907.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Since most of the lower walls have collapsed or become overgrown with thick vegetation, the first real sense that you’ve entered a Korean fortress is the large cistern positioned just inside what would have been the lower gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/28eb8fb0-1d9e-4708-a232-29b231d63b8f/DSC_2915.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The outer walls as one walks up the slope from the cistern. There are two ways to go up, but one requires back-tracking a bit and heading up rough wooden stairs. That path follows the wall more closely. The other—easier route—is paved, but both bring you here, where the stone exterior wall edge only peaks through the vegetation here and there, yet the steep fall off to the left indicates where the wall stands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f0808ff0-f6aa-47ad-86c4-d168aa6f5e52/DSC_2921.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The view from this western section of wall highlights the purpose of this fortress, namely to protect the gateway to trade with China. The sea, visible above, used to be closer to the fortress, but much land reclamation has occurred along most of Korea’s coastline, and Dangseong is no exception. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/39c26644-1e05-47e5-8fa3-1371156c14bd/DSC_2906.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The map to the left gives an impression of the entire fortress. The double fortification—smaller surrounding the summit and the larger expanding into the valley below—layout is easier to understand from this picture than from actually walking the ground. The vegetation is simply too thick around some portions of the old fortress to make it all out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e5dc845f-56d1-4f7e-ab29-ce4a310c184c/DSC_2935.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Once again, only the steepness to the left of the path gives any indication, from a distance, as to where the masonry still stands, the top being completely overgrown. But trust me…it’s there! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2659e6f6-d05b-4fa8-8e13-42da8d65b928/DSC_2928.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The summit—within the central, older fortress walls—includes several buildings excavated during nine separate archaeological digs on the site. These are now marked and fenced off atop the hill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7c72dec9-0d20-45e8-91b6-a1e7d85c1be6/DSC_2929.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/edf47d7d-1d63-4d3f-bbec-09b6ffe4b844/DSC_2954.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This was the location of a medium-sized pavilion that would have provided an incredible view of both sea and land approaches to Dangseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c929df28-1c68-44ed-8e68-5d64acd348b4/DSC_2943.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The view from the northern wall below the pavilion. You can just make out the top stones of the wall along the bottom of the photo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6ce1bb28-0c77-444f-9d17-95736a3cf06d/DSC_2945.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Turning to northeast, you get a sense for the view presented by this location, especially if you remember the trees would have been cleared away. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5850b712-6b63-4de9-b3eb-40006ba83706/DSC_2982.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The eastern wall turned out to be a beautiful walk, with a sheer ten-meter drop-off to one side, and beautiful foliage to the other. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9e52ef0e-b13f-42f0-8c03-93a1082766c5/DSC_2991.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Eventually the eastern section rounds back toward the main gate. The masonry marking the exterior wall is prominent here and in the wooden staircase leading up the hill toward the main fortress across the way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/03ff19ca-8643-4a19-ae72-887a9cf70004/DSC_3003.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Turning back toward the—now missing—main gate, you get a better view of the cistern and its associated viewing platform as well as the paved path leading up toward the summit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/780363e7-fb90-45c8-b435-9bd72b61f0cc/DSC_3061.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/03693f98-f399-4d47-b2f2-9090c4af7c55/DSC_3040.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Reaching the gate at the top of a steep climb up a sketchy trail, we weren’t exactly sure what we’d find. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8926e4ca-a033-4328-a6a9-1c8e242c076b/DSC_3043.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The pavilion, however, removed all doubt as the view from this point was well worth the effort! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ae4e4e9e-1cb9-4c5c-bcd9-ea46c2d46345/DSC_3046.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Around the corner Imjonseong reveals itself in spectacular manner, snaking its way downhill and then up again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/875ca663-e5c8-4351-8e25-812802b90cdf/DSC_3061.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e2454476-efa6-48c3-a8f3-54950b8e7db7/DSC_3056.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/be003d7d-ef84-44b5-9453-b86f42e24691/DSC_3065.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The usual Korean Three Kingdoms attention is paid at Imjonseong to drainage and water management. This small cistern lies just inside a gate (the one accessible by a difficult-to-find road and—more importantly—parking lot). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/82575289-38ad-45fa-91f9-7539629c930e/DSC_3128.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/930921cc-472b-4270-96c9-c354b07aaee3/DSC_3076.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Really love how the long walls incorporate the large boulders projecting out of the side of the mountain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/14dd78ca-0082-4870-aca3-2a2354ca8e33/DSC_3094.JPG Korea - Make it stand out On the west side of the fortress the terrain and wall climb almost vertically, making for an energetic outing to be sure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f6ae5c9b-47c4-4e2b-bce4-0fce6665067c/DSC_3100.JPG Korea - Make it stand out As well—and probably owing to the difficulty of the climb and sheer drop-offs—the northwest segment of the wall show fewer and fewer signs of foot traffic. Rounding the northern segment, however, you quickly find both breathtaking views as well as a wide, easily discernible path. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e1a24b1e-b6ef-4d63-a808-067113908aaf/DSC_3080.JPG Korea - Make it stand out As is often the case, the view of the surroundings from Imjonseong is pretty incredible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/15032071-124b-45c8-acf5-ab45d9bf58e0/DSC_3099.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/301ab29d-cbd4-448a-add7-36d8b2f3c607/DSC_3116.JPG Korea - Make it stand out View from the northern and eastern segments overlooks the lake and colorful valley below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/83ecf2ef-9ebe-4309-a505-a57b13636f2b/DSC_3164.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e93edf98-91b5-43af-802b-5fbdaa3faaaf/DSC_3148.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A map of Hongjuseong walls, showing the walls as they once stood—and may again someday soon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a7615e89-5bac-47cd-bab7-aed0fa6d5b7c/DSC_3151.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A stretch of the city wall between the East and South Gates. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e377917b-8b34-4062-b1d3-31a6ec2cfda8/DSC_3159.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1cf00272-3e79-444b-ba39-97045d347752/DSC_3153.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A turret between the East and South Gates. This would have been topped with pillars and a tiled roof to protect sentries on duty from the elements. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bd4b1f16-303e-478e-b4fe-66f743b4d1e8/DSC_3177.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A stretch of the southern wall showing original and restored sections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c6411407-e87a-49c4-8646-30bee9621a7b/DSC_3185.JPG Korea - Make it stand out It’s hard to picture here, but this is what remains of the water gate that allowed the local stream to pass through the city walls. Hopefully this section is rebuilt as well someday, though the apparent re-routing of the watercourse might make that difficult to achieve. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/66d80911-7dab-4217-881b-ae67f523323d/DSC_3183.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A stretch of the western wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0873c841-0d58-4101-a23c-e8696e490bf2/DSC_3197.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/30f11770-4890-4c8e-bc5a-317c4771e0e5/DSC_3198.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Throughout the city—near the walls—you find monuments to the martyrdom of Joseon Era Christians in Hongjuseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d0cb1fcd-482b-4239-9b01-abb822887475/DSC_3205.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This reproduction of a Joseon Era prison is intended to provide some idea of the conditions under which the martyrs lived until their torturous executions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6d4802ca-7025-457b-be22-9f94fff1d96d/DSC_3194.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Joyangmun is the only remaining great gate at Hongjuseong. As in Seoul, the gate stands alone in the middle of a wide traffic circle, disconnected from the walls that would have sprouted to left and right. This view is from the inside of the city walls looking out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/814e52b5-5900-4edb-91fe-d8001eb68a8c/DSC_3208.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This distinct fountain marks the well that once provided additional water to the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c9a78ad7-6710-4094-a629-7230d2d73b04/DSC_3167.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Inside of the South Gate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/630abd2f-cfe3-489e-a2e4-99b4ffaeadf8/DSC_3297.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f5b6f5b1-443d-477f-9775-0d6abbffa95d/DSC_3355.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The main gate to Haemi Upseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bbe36d0e-71bf-499c-8679-c96177d74c8d/DSC_3360.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The lone sentry tower standing at Haemi Upseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e224b564-2453-4983-8a53-6a5dde5b1e94/DSC_3217.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/45db811b-237d-4aa3-874e-5abf22a69172/DSC_3312.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dbbdc32b-eafd-4074-afc7-0b07c9d2432b/DSC_3335.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fad06e71-fa5b-46f0-b5bd-172e22b10d58/DSC_3278.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The fortress commander’s offices, as viewed from the pavilion hill behind. The view from that hill is stunning this time of year with the red spider lillies in full bloom! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6aebdd2c-0d88-4dbb-b2c6-f28963a67216/DSC_3292.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Love old Joseon architecture!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bb05a128-3a76-4f17-9c60-786df3fecc56/DSC_3300.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The steps leading up to Cheongheojeong pavilion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/661df085-3f8f-4a6f-b73e-76dd66945a1d/DSC_3265.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4933d742-d52b-4030-836e-d535320964a3/DSC_3268.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Cheongheojeong Pavilion at Haemi Upseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3fd32b7c-5f36-46e7-ba2a-c3443757ea01/DSC_3284.JPG Korea - Make it stand out More views from the hill, this one looking back toward the gate into the commander’s compound. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/db291578-25e3-49b8-900c-129c31bce778/DSC_3238.JPG Korea - Make it stand out …of course, any fortress with a collection of Joseon Era weaponry is an instant favorite! This one is the now famous Hwacha, basically a mobile multiple rocket launcher. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8cfc1c0a-0538-4c9d-bdb7-33a0094171f2/DSC_3237.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A Joseon Era cannon complete with sabot-style projectile of the type used by Admiral Yi to destroy Japanese vessels during the Imjin War (1592-98). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/22c97ba6-e45e-45ef-97e8-948760fdc190/DSC_3236.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A Joseon Era mortar, complete with exploding metal ammunition. Quite ahead of its time! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b3556d8b-cdd4-4f9a-a2ed-49c7c66c7dd0/DSC_3351.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The main gate of Haemi Upseong once more…couldn’t resist including this pic as the guard dressed in period attire was actually prohibiting the lady and her child from exiting—due to the danger posed by an incoming vehicle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d8b9785e-c56a-4627-bf14-022bd24dba23/DSC_3929.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/16f1c431-e0b0-473b-b912-b3adc09f68b5/DSC_3920.JPG Korea - Make it stand out There’s a small temple on the site. The staircase looked inviting so that’s where we entered. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/abdf693c-b60a-4d42-9c80-1d481212267f/DSC_3926.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/11eb1320-898a-4d1b-b8cc-7af523bced81/DSC_3925.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4d137fde-eab6-4e14-9918-77da1bf08ad5/DSC_3933.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Passing through the temple, however, our eyes were drawn first to the massive set of stone ruins running in tiers up the slope…and then to the well-designed water channel at our feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f953aaca-64f3-44ba-940c-543cc68d5fe5/DSC_3959.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is where excess water flows out of the fortress into the channel below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2e9ac0a7-0da9-4f55-9215-17f086c35e9c/DSC_3947.JPG Korea - Make it stand out As I said above…never quite seen anything quite like this in Korea. Layer upon layer of overlapping baileys built upon a stone foundation. The site likely housed the “royal family” established by the rebels, making the upper levels a palace as well, but so much of what lies below was clearly designed with defense in mind. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/61d7316c-5caf-4c86-9dee-d1a6d644d53b/DSC_3945.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a500458d-f868-4807-832d-94273211fbd4/DSC_3967.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Even the large corner stones resemble the technique Japanese castle builders would later use, though here without the need for the fan shape required to resist earthquakes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e7032a35-1d30-4be3-96f2-096e91ecb850/DSC_3974.JPG Korea - Make it stand out As seen from above, the tiered nature of the walls are easy to see, as well as the stone staircases leading from one level to the next. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dd21552a-86ee-4f11-b3e8-7b1ed37208eb/DSC_3982.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4d313d03-e349-4823-b609-da8dfb653794/DSC_3992.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is taken from behind the upper level, looking back down toward the temple and small information office. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/58fb21e4-495f-447a-82a4-a5be398e36ea/DSC_4009.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The steep tiering in the background is studded with foundation stones to support wooden building supports, as are many of the baileys within the main structure, as seen above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bdb5728c-48a1-4178-b9b1-0b58e2f80fae/DSC_3963.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/90e24343-eb3f-4219-9fe8-88e73ba8a60a/DSC_4016.JPG Korea - Make it stand out There is a small well at the base of the structure that still contains water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4cb08247-2adc-4d41-acb9-999c9df2f82e/DSC_4019.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Given the stubborn, heroic nature of the Sambyeolcho’s refusal to submit to Mongol rule, there is, of course, a grand monument to mark their rebellion and resistance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/49d47e94-eb22-4f47-8e4f-09ce83dbeaf1/DSC_3893.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f2fbd1e5-6e5b-409d-9814-743b264b8360/DSC_3850.JPG Korea - Make it stand out One of the distinctive characteristics of Namdojinseong is the two bridges over the moat on the south and east sides of the fortress. They’d only be filled during high tide as the bay is only a few paces behind where I stood to get this shot. First time I’d run across a moat used in Korean Fortress construction. The historical markers point out the stone bridges (there are two of them) crossing the moat are from the end of the Joseon Period. The older one shown here was built in 1870…quite young by Korean standards! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/956c2ee7-2a2e-43ba-aa01-a9836274149d/DSC_3853.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A view of the moat protecting the only gate. Probably doubled as drainage for the area, but remains flat enough—dead even with sea level—until well beyond the fortress, meaning it would have filled with each rising tide. The second stone bridge is just visible above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f5e20c91-5353-4b9a-8c47-58e178d9b6e0/DSC_3862.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The fortress walls have been beautifully restored thus far, including at least two turrets projecting out from the gracefully curving masonry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ae930251-2fdc-42fc-b179-3e28731fdf02/DSC_3859.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The gatehouse has a partially enclosed outer wall. The partial crenellations around the gate—and not extended along the entire wall—are interesting. Will need to look into that! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/12ad327a-6565-425a-9a1f-eaee6270fed4/DSC_3868.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A view through the main gate of Namdojinseong. You can see the headquarters buildings inside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4eb29709-c3a8-48bb-81bf-dd46a2f1d32a/DSC_3870.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A better view from just inside the gate highlights—once again—the attention Korean fortress designers paid to water management. At the time of its use, most of the grassy areas would have housed barracks for the naval crews and fortress guards as well as necessary storehouses for food and other necessities. The piles of dirt before the buildings—and metal connex—are indicative of ongoing and extensive restoration work at the site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c2012b79-f902-4551-9e96-a2b7ac9a90b9/DSC_3872.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A look back at the gate. A simple, yet elegant design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9582c6b3-7879-405a-b77e-9d264ef8b48a/DSC_3883.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Likely the headquarters or administrative building for the fortress. The collection of buildings inside Namdojinseong have been beautifully restored. Sorry if the picture seems canted a bit…the fortress slopes upward from the gate and this shot was taken from the side. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/93e2db18-ed66-4f5b-9130-810ce9657cfe/DSC_3879.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A section of the eastern wall has yet to be restored. I strongly suspect its to allow continued access by dump trucks and earth movers. The pile of stone is there on the left ready for when the fortress wall can be made whole again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fcbf68ca-b404-4236-ba6a-c60838a59172/DSC_3906.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The southern wall, however, has been nicely preserved and shows typically Late Joseon innovations such as this turret. A wooden structure with ceramic tile roof would have graced the top of this projection facilitating the positioning of a guard post. Important in this case as the view would have been toward the harbor and whatever ships were tied up there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5a3b85b6-6b53-4c4b-b32d-fae94219cda1/DSC_3913.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The moat leads directly to this bay, seen here at low tide. The mud flats characterize much of the Korean coastline, subject to the tides, a factor that has always complicated littoral operations around the peninsula. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ddcb014d-7072-4276-88b5-a83a629a6307/DSC_3916.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Another view of the harbor at Namdojinseong. The sea is visible beyond the far hill masses. Not all that long ago, really, this bay would have been filled with naval vessels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d09946d9-3909-4f5c-87fe-71291fdb8781/DSC_5271.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3fb98fbf-f55b-42e2-aa48-af9ae3362268/DSC_5260.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A fairly easy climb from a dedicated parking lot just off the main road, the first sight of Pasaseong is this restored wall section leading to ongoing restoration work at the main gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e7521f8b-32ab-4848-b386-8cbb68feb563/DSC_5339.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Heading through the gateway, the eye is immediately drawn left to the serpentine wall and then uphill to where it rides the highest point of the ridgeline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ea4aafab-7c4f-46ea-85d4-c6cf2d29a968/DSC_5270.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The farther one walks up the outer wall, the more incredible the view of the Han River valley below becomes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9f999f3c-9ae9-460a-893d-ef3a48b7f9cc/DSC_5274.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c6e1d64b-9f2b-4b15-b841-152a5f96650e/DSC_5276.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Crumbled wall sections alternate with those in better shape leading up the dramatic climb to the summit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9e168412-3172-4fde-8e6f-b6dfd5e8d0f1/DSC_5280.JPG Korea - Make it stand out It’s difficult to pick out here, but this indentation is actually a staircase leading up onto walls characteristically absent crenellations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/21ce7e4e-a840-46f9-ab09-6b2b83282f6c/DSC_5287.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The wall section leading up to the summit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/203e490e-531a-46af-86de-ed4abe280404/DSC_5291.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a49ad5fc-bd87-419b-8c7f-fe4d5c2d9280/DSC_5292.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0caa41e0-f52d-4dbf-a7c8-2871220f8604/DSC_5300.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The view from up top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fb8d420e-3410-4695-94b1-ae017b668e94/DSC_5304.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The pictures simply don’t do the view justice…sorry! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/04f95a82-cd2e-4a8e-9ef4-450e832b4966/DSC_5312.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The sharp corner just below the summit with interesting construction of the upper stone courses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/be1e14ff-7653-4568-b93f-976fa9c83854/DSC_5329.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The back wall has been neatly restored, once more alternating with less intact sections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/56d75aa1-3480-40e7-9120-595eefff8f55/DSC_5334.JPG Korea - Make it stand out An intact, if overgrown, gate…complete with modern barriers to vehicle entry! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3777d940-c0f5-4cb7-92bc-825824eac440/DSC_5262.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The restoration work at the main gate with a collapsed, Three Kingdoms Era section of wall in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0fad61aa-bdff-4bbb-8a81-51696bbfcf7f/DSC_5338.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2f9e3fc1-d88e-47af-b7e2-1a70dd407b06/DSC_5355.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Will come back someday and visit again—lots to see in the Yeoju area anyway—once the restoration work is complete. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/879ea38a-bb00-44a5-8cf6-a3940ab01a96/DSC_5376.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6e9da596-bba0-4c4d-9507-8b7a039eb3f7/DSC_5362.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Yeoju is one of those interesting places where there is so much history lying around, to mark it all on a map would make the map unreadable. Thus, we stumbled upon this 3,000 year old dolmen, or burial marker, just walking between the museum and Silleuka Temple. Another 100 meters on we tripped over the memorial for Joseon Era General Won Ho who raised a successful resistance force against the Japanese during the Imjin War…neither of these showed up on our maps! Apparently Yeoju was also the birthplace of Joseon’s final Empress, Myeongseong. I got the distinct impression Yeoju contains a lot more hidden historical gems! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7dcbdae0-7500-4dea-a475-966df2ad6fdd/DSC_5369.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The enduring image of Silleuksa Temple is the stone pagoda and riverside pavillion, visible here in the distance primarily due to the lack of vegetation so early in the Spring. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bb54a1dc-d47a-4761-ac1c-ae0b65faac3e/DSC_5373.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/21b733bf-fd76-4dca-b360-96d4f35f041f/DSC_5382.jpg Korea - Make it stand out The central buildings in Silleuksa Temple were gaily decorated upon our arrival and there were a LOT of visitors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7a177e55-c8ba-4022-9885-f4f79a3867bc/DSC_5384.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This marble pagoda was apparently a late addition to Silleuksa Temple…added at some point during the Joseon Era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/88862edf-4962-4568-ae6b-58305b59d7a9/DSC_5390.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Buddhist guardians painted on one of the inner temple doors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c69d4209-014a-427a-bc15-7bb4775222b0/DSC_5394.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e76d95bc-4e26-495e-8408-93c9dfe06cb1/DSC_5397.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8ebe7feb-8a20-499b-b086-d94358ea6764/DSC_5403.JPG Korea - Make it stand out 500 year-old juniper tree on the grounds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f5bb882d-6b16-43cd-9595-c8ebf2277d26/DSC_5407.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8ecd3f19-7d39-4e02-b11b-bdb2a60addfc/DSC_5425.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d72aeda8-b336-4175-8b6d-1fc8580d2961/DSC_5433.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Entering the final approach to Great King Sejeong’s tomb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3fb6ae0e-22d0-482e-a498-885a56890c79/DSC_5440.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e29bb02a-24ed-4dce-abaf-db33e9e73448/DSC_5451.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Great King Sejeong’s tomb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e5538cab-efb2-473e-937e-cf63bda1e91a/DSC_5415.JPG Korea - Make it stand out One of several tomb-keepers’ homes within the complex. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8939ad50-d13b-46a0-a49d-55ad65c3290b/DSC_5422.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Typical iconography has fresh water delivered to a large, stone-lined pond through the mouths of stone turtles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b61072e0-667b-4299-9ac0-307124bb3dbc/DSC_5466.JPG Korea - Make it stand out On the opposite end of the complex lies the tombs of Great King Hyojong and his wife Queen Inseong. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ba970082-a2ef-4aa1-b3fb-0fdd2c7d3e7b/DSC_5473.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Great King Hyojong’s tombs is farther uphill on the left and Queen Inseong’s on the lower hillock to the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/260e0b05-0046-402b-9580-2e7e6b26d220/DSC_5480.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Great King Hyojong’s Tomb https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2d206383-b3c2-4b00-9c68-edb051267520/DSC_5500.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Open doors at one of the tomb-keepers’ homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/08aa08ce-2877-430d-9ec4-be36872d5bac/DSC_7491.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f9e9450d-cbfa-4290-b027-f49b5006d6ad/DSC_7407.JPG Korea - Make it stand out First views of Gyejoksanseong as we emerged from the densely wooded trail. It’s quite massive, especially approaching from downhill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c56d600b-7faf-4c9c-813d-4c0c2b3ff2ab/DSC_7422.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cba2464f-0b87-401f-9391-fc2cfd845ccb/DSC_7419.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Typical of Three Kingdoms fortifications, the yawning, stone-lined South Gate leads into the end of this rectangular-shaped fortification. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/75dce0eb-f6f4-4f47-b3a0-039eca929b4d/DSC_7420.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The external terracing along the west wall as we entered the gate immediately reminded me of other Baekje Fortresses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/eb15ffc8-5a75-4126-9ec7-2f29e0385eb1/DSC_7416.JPG Korea - Make it stand out And, of course, the usual Korean Fortress builders’ regard for drainage is evident even here, at the very crest of the mountain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/50ae3d8f-d20d-4ba6-93fa-1a35d39f733a/DSC_7436.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking back on the South Gate from along the West Wall. The scenery to the south and north was fantastic. Due west one looks out over the sprawling city of Daejon, though visibility didn’t offer us much of a view on the day we visited. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a8937be4-9771-4a16-9b83-c9d149d1cb8a/DSC_7467.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The human figure atop the walls help provide some idea of how large these gates really are. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6ca4c127-0bdb-47b4-9027-e048517682c1/DSC_7471.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/300562fc-5832-435b-8e5b-5396584d0aaa/DSC_7440.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Signs along the trail had warned us there’d been some weather damage over the past few months. The more direct trail to the fortress was completely out of commission and so we walked quite a bit farther than expected to reach the top. Here one can see on-going efforts to repair the west wall and gate. Unfortunately, this meant we couldn’t make a full circuit of the fortress, but signs on the site indicate work should be done by October 2024…so we’ll probably be back! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a165dc9a-873f-4006-bf67-f74b48e29e8e/DSC_7450.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This low stone wall well within the external walls once delineated the bounds of a signal beacon station, apparently in use all the way through to the Joseon Period. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5fcb4b59-1594-4308-8f3d-d9a40143acc4/DSC_7456.JPG Korea - Make it stand out So many trails had been damaged in the area we simply couldn’t get everywhere we wanted to on this trip, but the eastern walls, climbing the far slope, were clearly visible from the site of the old signal beacon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/09ae99bc-cdca-4570-bbac-f92ce318df5c/DSC_7462.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This was the best, zoomed-in picture of those far walls I could get. Will try to do better next time…and hope to walk them myself! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4e253068-68b9-4497-8303-58e497a8f710/DSC_7483.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Back to the terracing at the south gate, looking west. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/971ddccc-2777-4da6-9237-142355d97585/DSC_7475.JPG Korea - Make it stand out And here looking east, including a partially collapsed section of the exterior wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/42309208-0741-41ed-8d76-2a80c116eb0e/DSC_7494.JPG Korea - Make it stand out From a small hillock we were able to get a bit wider view of Gyejoksanseong, at least that part of it visible from the short, southern end, the external terracing visible on both sides of the gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/82c11027-3b07-4453-9084-8d6de5bd575e/DSC_7508.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f63a0964-6f7a-4aaf-952e-a5d1af87406a/DSC_7507.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Cheoinseong is marked by a visitor’s center and memorial hall, done in a modern hanok style. Very visual, and clearly designed with kids in mind, its not a bad place to start if unfamiliar with the Mongol invasions of Korea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7bf7ed6b-1418-4d48-aa64-03c303ea942f/DSC_7515.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This very nice marker of the battle includes a giant grayscale rendering of the most famous painting of the fight (included in color below). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/75084c49-9062-4b89-8060-ab07ffdd05fb/DSC_7510.JPG Korea - Make it stand out It really doesn’t look like much, just a small rammed-earth wall about 10 meters high with a steep outer glacis. Still, considering no stone was used, the walls have survived 800 years pretty well, I think! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6cae33b2-0733-4b5f-90ab-04130c00252f/DSC_7534.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/597600c3-2e06-4deb-8351-a7b9c9b2a430/DSC_7556.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The small garrison had a single entry point, shown here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/959639e2-beb0-4149-88e1-daa05689443d/DSC_7565.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cc7d7606-09cd-4c28-b405-45305cbf727c/DSC_7574.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking back toward the entry from the top of the far wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f81e4381-4834-4ec0-9a10-ef8dd5452a72/DSC_7586.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking along the longest stretch of continuous wall toward the highest point of the surviving rampart (the brownish patch of dirt to the right of the frame). 800 years of erosion will do a number on rammed-earth walls, so you can imagine a significantly higher—and slightly steeper—wall when the Mongols arrived, topped by a low wooden stockade. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d1e740b3-c6bd-42dd-829c-98abb2ab90b5/DSC_7591.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The highest point of Choeinseong, and steepest section of outer wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/69853ebb-bf9f-4c63-95e4-37930acbcb3a/DSC_7601.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/31168d18-2fc3-45cc-9aac-77984f9252e4/DSC_7611.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4fe33bf5-7d78-4d1c-9ebe-3181e73b7721/DSC_7613.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The path surrounding Cheoinseong is studded with maps, letters, and artist conceptions of the battle. While I see the use of siege ladders as unlikely—and wholly unnecessary—the depiction of the low wooden stockade atop the wall and wooden-framed gateway are probably pretty accurate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/177386d3-3aea-4e6d-b118-6f73a83c9e4c/WonderfulSeoul-003.jpg Korea - Make it stand out The painting mentioned above, currently hanging in the Korean War Memorial in Seoul, shows the moment when Saritai is struck by an arrow loosed by the monk Kim Yun-hu, killing the Mongol general and ending the Second Mongol Invasion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/41af527c-c0e0-4e7e-884f-9e169b74d2b5/DSC_7926.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f4881cdb-5cde-4aed-8c84-f4028551ba3b/DSC_7913.JPG Korea - Make it stand out It’s easy to see why the site was originally chosen by those monks desiring to get away from civilization and focus on their meditations. Saseongam is quite remote. You can reach the site by a wicked climb or take a small village bus that departs roughly every 15 minutes. Don’t judge us—we are getting old, after all—but in this case we chose the bus…and endured/enjoyed the most perilous roller coaster ride of our lives! The 70 year-old bus driver, who’s no doubt made thousands of trips up and down the mountain, accelerated into the most perilous of hairpin curves, mere feet from sheer, hundred foot drop-offs and left us all holding on for dear life!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/237f9d35-ecdc-4652-bbb0-7cf2dc7f3beb/DSC_7915.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Our first sight of Saseongam. The last stretch, starting from where the bus stops, is really steep and I can only imagine how we would have felt if we’d climbed up…and then faced this! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ae7f3770-26f6-4bbf-b82d-4ebb4c91a31d/DSC_7917.jpg Korea - Make it stand out The main hall of Saseongam is pretty awe-inspiring, and instantly reminded me of how I’d always imagined the High Elves living in Lord of the Rings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c8c84770-5bea-4c6d-b71f-313c4bfedb02/DSC_7941.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/05461ade-ec16-43b7-ba47-32074535fedb/DSC_7932.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e14a9960-dcde-413e-a623-9f01ecbfe235/DSC_7927.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ffbb7764-c042-449a-9996-423f8b53a9cf/DSC_7922.JPG Korea - Make it stand out What we initially took to be just an adjunct building on “the next cliff over” turned out to be so much more, the graceful stone staircase leading to several additional halls, shrines, caves, and scenic overlooks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d60bc619-b172-43a0-a6e5-d261a5e4b588/DSC_7947.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7033b223-8c20-4785-9d96-51363228c63f/456702522_485902524313629_8100146296468584898_n.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cfd117eb-1e02-4e33-ae35-3f53d6c5bb8a/456469216_478888401649591_3325858462940559233_n.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2b670244-b308-4e81-8f30-19fc70ff3d3f/DSC_7958.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b9289f63-8f7c-4410-8a41-0820d6c2a3e3/DSC_7961.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/eb818001-ae23-451b-928f-0248134e5947/DSC_7972.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/896cd503-9c97-431d-8998-706de309be6d/DSC_7991.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c174a5d4-f2d8-4aae-8307-1ed259369600/DSC_7977.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The Seongjin River runs down the valley far below. The view from Saseongam is simply incredible! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9e570c3a-641e-4c90-aa9f-a419bdabf27a/DSC_8029.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6d40f855-598f-463b-9b04-c414457147dd/DSC_8019.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5482399a-ec43-482d-86b9-ab633ea56554/DSC_8033.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Saseongam remains an active hermitage and visitors are not allowed past this gate. The signs politely indicate that the monks were meditating within. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/429b371f-073b-4030-bc4e-242355aa343d/DSC_8040.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Mt. Osan and its surroundings are gorgeous and we stumbled across innumerable scenes of dynamic cliffs, framed with summer foliage throughout this trip, all of which would make lovely computer wallpaper! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c97f5ead-1a2a-40bf-a2c9-6533aca38c6f/DSC_8024.JPG Korea - Make it stand out We found this miniature scene in a crevice as we ascended the stairs to the main hall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d0558006-84d6-478e-94e1-d48348509431/DSC_8022.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cbbafb65-5abd-4caa-85be-db2f09339b11/DSC_8042.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d9bcacea-8e8b-4ee7-a562-e2e65b0390f5/DSC_7783.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5e10380b-365e-4f90-949d-61cfcfd04795/DSC_7782.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The long, straight Eupseong walls are clearly later Joseon and display the Chinese influence so prevalent at the time, forming the shape of a rough rectangle around the less orderly arrayed homes and shops within. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c2bda780-8b18-4513-8fc3-8c557fbca6e5/DSC_7785.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Irrigation here serves a dual purpose as a defensive obstacle along much of the Eastern and Southern walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9dfea01f-a377-4273-b966-7f8f4c0b8ef1/DSC_7788.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Quite a unique gate, we’d not run across anything quite like this to date, though again, the style is clearly late Joseon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ebba8de2-86db-4c2d-99a1-28b13bcc4d2f/DSC_7791.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The village is…well, everything you might expect a Medieval Korean village to be. Plus cars, air conditioners, and fuel oil, that is. That said, walking along the narrow alleyways one can easily forget the touches of modernity coloring the place and focus only on the sensation of stepping back in time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/09e85d3e-35c2-45ba-a93a-39b4df6a8019/DSC_7797.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e6cc0bcf-965e-4d2e-bacd-048d1fd98e43/DSC_7808.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/068f57a4-9a17-4e2e-97f9-08b1828584e2/DSC_7808.jpg Korea - Make it stand out To make the point, I took the liberty of filtering a few pics in grayscale. Looks like they could have been taken about a hundred years ago! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/285d8b4f-51fd-4b15-b513-517b3ef46e63/DSC_7857.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bcd1197d-5db3-4db8-981c-caed13f1ede2/DSC_7806.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/41bcee18-cb01-41a7-b8b6-a87ace002083/DSC_7804.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Communal storage of sauces and fermenting kimchi would have been important. This is one of the larger such repositories I’d ever seen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6f5aceda-836a-48b5-b6ad-a1cd469b276e/DSC_7813.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The wall of the eupseong bounds Nakan Village and creates a clear sense of “us” and “them” . . . “safe” and “dangerous”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e720f17e-cb45-42df-9a9c-2197669d5da2/DSC_7821.JPG Korea - Make it stand out At numerous places along the inside of the eupseong wall the simplest of stairs provided access. Not intended to fend off invading armies, the walls of eupseong are generally pretty low and lacking in defensive structures, yet seem to have served their purpose in keeping marauding pirates and bandits outside and the local population safe within. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c7f127e9-f3db-4033-a045-093a179e6177/DSC_7852.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The southern gate complex. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9bb063e0-7081-4245-8808-e2428cd6f788/DSC_7856.jpg Korea - Make it stand out The western end of the eupseong includes a low hill and so the wall climbs and then descends in the usual manner for Korean fortresses, following the local terrain in order to take greatest advantage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3321625a-5b7e-41ed-8692-a15bc7a9ce12/DSC_7878.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The northern third of Naksan is devoted to yangban—educated elite—structures and so the thatch of lower-class houses gives way to the stately, ceramic tile roofing of the upper class. The courtyards get bigger and the walls surrounding them more ornate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ad0c33e6-de14-4175-b47a-69b7a5501caa/DSC_7880.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3398d693-3766-48e5-8efa-305a2d4c9f0d/DSC_7894.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Just our luck we captured a crew working to replace roofing thatch on a house just beyond the eupseong wall. Watching for only a few minutes my back hurt and I decided that “Joseon Dynasty Roof Thatcher” is probably not a viable post-Army career! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/88901355-bf10-49f5-8231-311eb5a65f50/DSC_7898.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ed626a34-3056-467e-b1d9-5516eaeca0ef/DSC_7902.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dd45e650-a58d-4724-ae2a-5ec5ef2ee7da/DSC_8390.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6d7fa443-6c56-4b9a-8a85-8e8a1721a6a9/DSC_8379.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5ed32b49-603e-480e-a523-f6ec7036654e/DSC_8377.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Unfortunately, the walls have only been well preserved near the main roadway over the mountain. That said, you get a sense for how massive this fortress once was. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/85b2b80f-a742-46b3-b183-6344cda250c0/DSC_8393.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The arched gates are almost always indicators of Joseon design and construction. This double arched gate, however, is particularly rare. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/63cca412-db30-480a-91ab-e598c9490adc/DSC_8407.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Above the gate the wall extends up the hill in pretty good shape until it disappears into the dense folliage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/47695790-e91b-4311-ab48-e2a43d307fde/DSC_8411.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Its difficult to see in this picture, but the condition of the wall—at least this segment—deteriorates rapidly once entering the woods. You can just make out the stones piled within the shadows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3967f1ce-65f5-483e-acf8-627d01933df0/DSC_8415.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking back down onto the West Gate, the grass-covered masonry protecting the gate is an interesting feature as well. You can just make out the extension of the wall at the extreme right of the picture (below the dirt path) and I found myself wondering how the two pieces originally fit together. I can only assume significant damage was done to the original layout in order to lay in the modern roadway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4eef36ea-72dc-4b0b-849c-b4db334c89e3/DSC_8385.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Looking back up toward the West Gate from across the road. The foliage was such that it was difficult to get everything I wanted into a single picture! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/29ed4a50-a468-44d8-8402-6dddfc4ec05e/DSC_8430.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Beyond the fortress, the scenery in the surrounding area was just amazing! Such complete wilderness!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7356039d-bed7-4280-932b-0918f3711cad/DSC_8420.JPG Korea - Make it stand out From the scenic lookout on the LONG ride down the mountain we were able to see the beautiful Wibong Falls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5ae16721-21f3-44a2-b355-3c63c31c2e14/DSC_9678_alt.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ad80899a-ef57-4711-b6ab-1c7c6dd71d41/DSC_9636_alt.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8ec982a4-be54-4d74-b697-7899d8bce7a6/DSC_9637_alt.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2054f431-1321-4ca0-af1c-59e8fc674bc3/DSC_9645.jpg Korea - Make it stand out General Gyebaek’s shrine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4af66fa4-2cda-408a-8e67-7da9d7e1e27b/DSC_9668.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/374247e7-a757-493a-aeec-859ce2f2f240/DSC_9664_alt.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/330b91dd-d71d-4793-945c-f24e4e0b98d0/DSC_9655_alt.jpg Korea - Make it stand out The final resting place of Baekje’s most famous military leader, General Gyebaek. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5110e88e-9010-4388-9ca4-e08887b2fd50/DSC_9670.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/602911c7-3540-4a81-8fa3-8739da085ab6/DSC_9674.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3b961e9f-ee43-44e5-8c68-1b766aa4ed15/DSC_9677_alt.jpg Korea - Make it stand out General Gyebaek’s statue, overlooking both the museum and shrine, appears suitably heroic! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/44400b3d-7f16-40ea-b3d1-73f234ee8fae/DSC_9601.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/07a72f22-64e9-4253-b685-fe4dd12bbea2/DSC_9608.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The museum is an impressive edifice, and surrounded by beautiful scenery north of the Tabjeong Reservoir. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1242e2c1-ea54-4020-9ebf-41e21802e07f/DSC_9619.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2ea12775-2035-4129-8782-767eed98879b/20250121_120144.jpg Korea - Make it stand out The refurbishments include an impressive wrap-around video room and presentation that brings the story of the Battle of Hwangsanbeol to life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e09120f6-6382-4cb1-a8d6-b9d76bd21f35/DSC_9607.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Campaign map of the Battle of Hwangsanbeol. Really a series of four successive engagements, the fall of General Gyebaek and his hopelessly outnumbered force meant the fall of Baekje soon thereafter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1e5626d1-22e1-46cd-9e75-4f24496a0663/DSC_9692.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c3b8f0f3-a397-4a19-a868-f85ff2db7e46/DSC_9695.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5688837b-99be-49e3-bfc1-3a0c0d40cbec/DSC_9702.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/16a4649f-9ebb-4bbe-b239-70a0e11536f7/DSC_9704.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cb1d5367-d355-4771-9721-126e916b0308/DSC_9706.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bb95df35-9930-452f-8e55-6adbcc9931d3/20250121_131011.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b2d29778-03e4-4236-8b9f-abded9b708fc/DSC_0007.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e685ab5c-2a03-46cd-a8be-58bb2cef0305/DSC_0019.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is what you first see when walking up from the parking lot…and its a bit underwhelming. Yet this is NOT Nongdari but appears to be something added much more recently to facilitate pictures of and access to the artificial waterfall across the way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/81c44ea7-b638-4eb2-aeb4-ce0661437883/DSC_0029.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Still…the white water in the picture above does provide some indication how fast the water flows down Baeksok Stream, necessitating the need for a bridge in the first place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7ddc49df-0942-4302-8708-b84afd3a9062/DSC_0009.JPG Korea - Make it stand out About 200 meters downstream, Nongdari stands, as sturdy as the day it was first laid down, over 600 years ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/34ff95ab-ef8d-439e-9b06-808ad18fba8f/DSC_0047.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d8ff3262-a99f-42c2-b189-64c4fa646ca1/DSC_9967.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The stone pylons support the massive flat slabs visible here which are wide enough for a horse to cross. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4f76d05a-2959-49bb-b21a-d30024682bd1/DSC_0054.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/aa8dd87e-eb81-44a2-9486-ef887018a49f/DSC_0062.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The name threw us a bit until some quick research indicated the “Nong” in Nongdari means centipede. Since “dari” is a homonym for both “leg” and “bridge” . . . the cleverly named Nongdari refers to a bridge that looks a bit like a centipede. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b88a7a6d-c9b3-4f9b-b77e-30f4518cc144/DSC_9996.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/017aeb48-10cd-445a-9ad7-52337cd74dac/DSC_0067.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Across the Goryeo Era bridge and up the hill takes you to another—uh…very different—bridge! Spanning the scenic Chopyeong Reservoir, you can cross the 550 meter bridge to the other side, either just for fun or to continue hiking the many trails there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bbfa248c-2aa4-4895-bf12-7afd66e146d0/DSC_0109.JPG Korea - Make it stand out I will warn those of you who suffer from motion sickness . . . when a lot of people cross at once the bridge sways . . . ALOT! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2801a20f-d958-4607-a2f9-03c323f6122e/DSC_0074.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/29a76ca0-ea44-4db0-8369-19df59a9790e/DSC_0101.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Yet the views of Chopyeong Reservoir from the high crossing are spectacular, even in the subdued colors of late winter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8c86390c-1519-4aca-b1b8-e4f55a6ef8c7/DSC_0156.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/835c5543-4820-4f6f-9cb8-e04c039d0744/DSC_0169.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/49e73adb-1a65-4b18-8e17-f0ffad061411/DSC_0175.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f434540e-ee40-4cc1-8515-34432e1b36aa/DSC_0180.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The main hall at Gilsangsa. Took three pictures from this spot and somehow they all came out crooked . . . sorry! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/55abedd4-7742-4384-b45b-b19c6e9a933a/DSC_0182.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/be65000d-5fa0-4cdc-b99c-490439f96638/DSC_0188.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Kim Yu-sin’s official portrait hanging in the central hall at Gilsangsa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/473f73ee-3796-4913-bccb-17af4d80a1aa/DSC_0183.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a228d464-0d43-4775-9e1c-e8c35e44b953/DSC_4385.png Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/29c399c1-0296-4003-bb93-1746868b1f4b/DSC_4412.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fb75b313-52f7-4ae6-895a-2573c2d91b27/DSC_4391.JPG Korea - Make it stand out This is the final stretch of the northern wall section, long since dug into and thus destroyed from this point north to the Han River. These wall sections are fairly imposing and reach about 12 meters in height. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a2638baf-e115-41f0-9d91-f93945a79bcd/DSC_4398.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The steep slope of the rammed earth walls remains remarkably consistent around the ancient fortress, though few sections are as well-preserved as those of the northern wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b80e7cac-b6a2-4a7f-8637-0fd4339b0071/DSC_4430.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Traveling down the long eastern stretch, the looser dirt has been dug away from the rammed sections, leaving a hint of the original wall shape behind. The lights installed along the base of the wall render a ghostly image of Korea’s distant past each and every night. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5171a3f4-2d62-4d9b-be11-305bc30afe27/DSC_4436.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/29a04125-bdf7-4dfc-a009-b4ebdec224f7/DSC_4452.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/44592e78-0591-4e18-b69b-406c82f9667b/DSC_4466.JPG Korea - Make it stand out A small observation platform exists at the southeastern apex of the city wall, with stairs facilitating access. The wall at this point is only about 6 meters high. The wall turns 90 degrees to the west at this point and slowly diminishes as it approaches the Han River. Unfortunately only about 200 meters of the western wall survives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ed813df4-32a3-46bb-80ed-f1ba5d2a8c82/DSC_4405.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Along the walkway marking the city walls of ancient Wiryeseong there are historical information panels, stories, and traditional vignettes intended to help visitors better understand and visualize the Baekje kingdom and capital. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b806a4d0-a74e-4c2c-877d-896d799c127c/DSC_4410.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/623c8c82-e48c-4426-8170-3569fd98fdd9/DSC_4421.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b463307c-3c61-4560-ba73-6feb540688ed/DSC_4473.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Mongchontoseong requires more imagination even than the royal precincts of Pungnaptoseong. From a distance it just looks like any other hill. Yet once upon a time, this unassuming height was the primary military base of the Kingdom of Baekje. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/38637cc7-0970-4e1d-b74b-ba0fd9bc325b/DSC_4474.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The western gate to the fortress turns fairly steep, running up between two rammed-earth sections obscured by foliage. At this point we questioned whether or not we were even heading the right way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4a0611f2-1e42-48ce-be2a-ef555adcb0a8/DSC_4480.JPG Korea - Make it stand out But once you make the turn, indicators of the uniform rammed-earth pattern in the walls emerge and you start to picture in your mind’s eye a guarded gateway with Baekje military guards stopping passers-by and inspecting supply carts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/59320df4-0cf4-43c4-bccf-e83b1fc6610e/DSC_4489.JPG Korea - Make it stand out From the ancient fortress’s highest point along the western wall you start to get a sense for the layout, as well as an appreciation for the height above the surrounding terrain. As with all such Three Kingdoms fortresses, already decent terrain—in this case a slight elevation in the ground near the capital—was improved upon with man-made rammed-earth walls. Again, the edge of the wall would have been topped with a wooden stockade, likely with high guard towers built to provide visibility down the steep slope and along the length of the wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/468a8fc4-ab7e-4dfa-b148-cd938e36bb82/DSC_4498.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ebdfe106-b12a-40fc-88ab-c9044cf94ee9/DSC_4501.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e95785b2-6882-49bc-b3b2-2ffd410aa582/DSC_4514.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Within the earthen walls there was a tremendous amount of space available, some of which was taken up with military administrative and logistics facilities as well as barracks and stables. At 2.3 kilometers it is smaller in circumference than the royal precincts to the west, consistent with Three Kingdoms military practice of the day. Still, this would have been a fairly large fortress for the time and must have maintained a significant garrison. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0caf30c7-2a53-4f04-adcc-073e51a0f960/DSC_4839.JPG Korea - Make it stand out The southern apex of Mongchontoseong. The walls of this fortress run from a height of 6 meters to an astounding 35 meters at their highest point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/00f75905-52f9-4181-9ff7-99779afed87b/DSC_4529.JPG Korea - Make it stand out Mongchontoseong was incorporated into the Olympic Park constructed for the 1988 Seoul Olympics and as such is now fronted by a beautiful pond and decorative foliage. Still, from this angle one can make out the heights beyond which sketch the outline of this once, very important fortification. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7e32cc4f-2ed1-46dc-a896-dd53d4ce3d9b/20260415_140543.jpg Korea - Make it stand out At the lower, eastern end of the fortress remnants of multiple buildings have been uncovered and a fairly large excavation continues there today. Ceramic roof tiles from the Baekje Era through to the Unified Silla Period indicate that the fortress remained in use well past the destruction of Baekje in 663 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8a4185af-ab01-4321-a138-ce1401b56dd7/20260415_142347.jpg Korea - Make it stand out Wrapped around the southern and eastern facades of Mongchontoseong lies the city’s beautiful Olympic Park. All-in-all, not a bad afternoon and well worth exploring on a sunny Spring day in Seoul! https://www.mghaynes.net/japan daily 0.75 2023-05-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1538967783166-YW5BRSMCJDSU29ZDR40N/IMG_0506.JPG Japan - Japanese Castles The beauty and elegance of Japanese fortifications… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537680081102-5T9C3MU1U8QI3NYL2QLC/IMG_0960.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537680139728-VKQ6VT4Z2M7INOP2YUW5/IMG_0990.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537680207746-09Z96AA0WTYS7QP3P51Z/IMG_1029.JPG Japan View from the very top, the command post and best vantage point, looking out over the castle buildings and the modern city beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537680374178-TH1BDWHNFXSKP9FYLWVJ/IMG_1079.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537680312575-L5C4R8PXCTEYJ9WXVS9I/IMG_0964.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537014860268-1CXXE2BM2JV7WHJIIZHC/DSC03910.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1538281454819-TIW34RVRRUL6OOE8371I/DSC03861.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1538281929997-QZ5YVYEA0QHZYLNVFU9C/DSC03862.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1538282010515-GQ0J0HXPQAUDEF5MK0IO/DSC03880.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1538282071514-GW7XKYGXQZ6C36VFF34O/DSC03889.JPG Japan This photo helps give some idea of just how large a castle Kumamoto is. The outer baileys remain largely intact, and so the space preserved within the walls is simply massive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1538282203545-15QPJIN5YZ0IWCU10BEO/DSC03918.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1538282382794-XURWZF9S7ER5ZU5NADNM/DSC04309.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1538282442820-PK0QMHJV7NDYPZ9CFC93/DSC04329.JPG Japan A view from within the first bailey looking up at the double-tenshu that characterizes this elegant fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1538284193363-AS97HKMXX1D649A9S16E/DSC04376.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634433365864-RYKO62NGJU410M1DSOQG/IMG_2213.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634433742176-5QEQKA0PVM3IWGX629D2/IMG_2461.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634433988479-XUX5HS4FPXJ7A36K59MI/IMG_2401.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634433899063-7ALC7MNUYFJ2QCF5ZC87/IMG_2129.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634434103315-MF57IXHVEX9YHO365WXX/IMG_2443.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634434363242-GZIJEN2EPAVIBJZGLL4D/IMG_2152.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634434498963-8EKWR9B5JHJIQ74OJ6A9/IMG_2132.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634434582031-O7TAKLWHUJPTQZGISCFM/IMG_2161.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634434740825-R9HVO0GYHHITCHS8MBH0/IMG_2170.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634434815566-8QAXPIADSI0YA4LBIKNJ/IMG_2188.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634434902841-CBAIIMAN27EE3WX8I0VP/IMG_2208.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634435101121-HQ0WSZZRTTC4GKCJJ32Q/IMG_2241.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1634435212357-NIGQWYDIPSU57AVSCBH0/IMG_2375.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537014651563-04BF4AJ4RJ8DSGOWGD2I/IMG_0468.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537583752464-S5115ETLO61GQZUU1CRP/IMG_0471.JPG Japan I’ve taken literally thousands of castle pictures here in Japan, but I think this one is my all-time favorite! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537583792895-BJH4E33E3VQN2GIJF14V/IMG_0484.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537583832504-QGYHGWUXGWKXA6K7MZHM/IMG_0503.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537583869084-608YNM3R0N6EFDQV8OO2/IMG_0509.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537583919232-L4LOMYA8I3W051WHHW7S/IMG_0537.JPG Japan View from the command post looking down upon the moat and iconic red bridge. Seriously, Matsumoto in the Fall is a MUST! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537583967859-Q28N88GDBK83WCOSM2EP/IMG_0569.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604094351406-QB7MDV0R7KHNLJEIN1CG/IMG_1665.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604094726622-Y20ZBQL97DG1GL0BEAJ0/IMG_1645.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604094818357-UAIPO4E3LN4ECQ6F6CIO/IMG_1760.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604095104551-D5WQ5OSFZORPDYT6L4EC/IMG_1752.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604095195317-5K7W34NR73FACQAQ5Q7R/IMG_1655.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604095334631-CJ73C5QG7UD3UYUZHRWP/IMG_1728.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604095568484-KK1LKQ3TB61IZ7E8YGE8/IMG_1676.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604095699775-E7EYDHFCVUB82PRFKT7P/IMG_1705.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604095777240-I9S9UGJKX1J2VUFNEENN/IMG_1684.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604096180988-E4E2ISYAZ9NTQ45GMN9E/IMG_1768.JPG Japan Nagoya Castle Tenshu as seen from across the moat. The large golden dolphins atop the castle keep have become the symbols of Nagoya and show up everywhere around the city! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604096453860-EW32T1KSGW8EWPOEAYR0/IMG_1628.jpg Japan As with many Japanese “lowland” castles, Nagoya is lit up beautifully at night. We happened upon it on a night with no wind leaving the surface of the moat calm and reflective. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604095030686-S8O7SVSSOFKBBDHJAOMF/IMG_1739.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537071051395-6BT92Q7RKMCBW22ED3IS/IMG_0069.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585041266-BTJ68VIR43SUY4BZ10JH/IMG_0077.JPG Japan The lower baileys of Matsuyama Castle live up to their name . . . WAY lower than the inner two. This picture is taken from the outer (third) bailey. The stone work in the middle of the picture marks the second bailey. You can just make out the tops of the buildings of the first and main baileys above the tree line at the top of the hill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585081537-SV2OXGFR30HG3EKFHLLZ/IMG_0084.JPG Japan Emphasizing the difference in height between the second and main baileys at Matsuyama. It really is THAT high! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585165799-HUHW4QGLQ4IEOIP7METJ/IMG_0134.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585197355-BPBO6M4CD0CY8XSC8VIZ/IMG_0138.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585250017-X5WQPW2UZP2GZTPJGWAK/IMG_0147.JPG Japan Finally, the gate leading into the first bailey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585565903-GWFMZD6N4KV9T22S3JJP/IMG_0213.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585293863-S7PEIYHX0E5S5HNZAKGQ/IMG_0163.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585355978-V7LNO5H1ZH5UAXJXWYC6/IMG_0186.JPG Japan Looking down onto the first bailey from the command post atop the tenshu. The city of Matsuyama sprawls for miles in the background, but the castle stands above it all like a medieval stone guardian. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585396253-ZMPIGR0NTRW91L4I9IRK/IMG_0187.JPG Japan I love this design feature! The main entrance is a confusing and very defensible series of narrow, twisting turns passing through multiple smaller gates. The tenshu was also built in the shape of a hollow square, with the building’s entrance on the inside, making any approaching force have to brave the fire of the entire building’s worth of defenders . . . assuming they even made it that far! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585445169-YZWZ6TLLJEAQRQ8ZHHHB/IMG_0192.JPG Japan Looking down into the second and third baileys from the command post. That far tree line marks the edge of the third bailey, and the beginning of the narrow moat that protects it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585520781-KCAMA27M4HGUJKZ43S3T/IMG_0211.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585664006-BT029MNQC82S9MC1DKVQ/IMG_0209.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537013918584-KUKQ1Z1WT9I38BP0R208/IMG_0322.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586119407-KVA10E8M5Y4S580QJAOS/IMG_0307.JPG Japan It was raining cats and dogs the only day we had to visit Kochi . . . so naturally, we went anyway. Apologies, however, for the quality of these pictures as they don’t do Kochi Castle justice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586163041-HOWM12006XYBZHUY343V/IMG_0322.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586189360-KSP1LBGCI69LCEW7BN0V/IMG_0323.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586258219-VHJ45C1OCNEZU83OTXLH/IMG_0331.JPG Japan The infamous false gate at Kochi Castle. Painted to look just like the real thing, it was designed to channel attackers into a kill-zone for archers positioned along the walls of the main bailey up above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586299342-BMTFLKAZTS5ODPBF6XXH/IMG_0338.JPG Japan One of Kochi’s real gates. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586348122-ERDWZVXY7RIZ6WVBGSF5/IMG_0340.JPG Japan Kochi Castle is fairly unique in that the castle lord’s domicile has been preserved within the main bailey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586448398-SBLVUVYOPH0OJ3VTKAX5/IMG_0347.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586501238-NVYS4VV3LBLO4GH67QH8/IMG_0367.JPG Japan View from Kochi Castle’s tenshu, looking down upon the false gate to the left and stairway leading to the main gate to the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537071387170-A3ZZZ2ZZYOFQ0UR0IB1J/DSC06775.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537683787068-11CYWW24E548GOAU0XL0/DSC06734.JPG Japan There’s a rare appreciation for beauty present in the layout of Odawara Castle. A lowland fortification, it’s surrounded by a photogenic moat system that weaves its way into, between, and around the various defensive constructs in a way most pleasing to the eye. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537683868149-IZOOV6ZXV3SA2W8GF46F/DSC06744.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1624143577684-8MSVP84U1RT1F1PEWS9U/IMG_2017.JPG Japan - Make it stand out This shot through the doorway nicely illustrates the concentric rings of defenses characteristic of Japanese castle design. The massive doors in the foreground are separated from the gate complex just visible to the left by water in the protective moat, and the tenshu, or keep, in the center is further separated by a steep climb, protected by high stone walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537683964670-XB38O8G5WMHYRV4XZVO2/DSC06764.JPG Japan Love this little bridge!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537684051145-KTL2AKPO0EMAYOYEY4CN/DSC06769.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1624143165388-7XC7L4PZHXEH40VGI07A/IMG_2050.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The climb up to the inner bailey of Odawara Castle. Note the U-shaped defensive structure attached to the gatehouse at the top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1624143255547-MMP4ARJQW0RWU3KW3LN7/IMG_2052.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The main gate to the inner bailey at Odawara Castle. The 90-degree turn into the gate is characteristic of Japanese castles and was intended to maximize the effect of fire from archers and arquebusiers manning the gatehouse above, and the U-shaped defenses to the sides. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1624143415510-K6WV3TDLZO3HD07NIUTN/IMG_2057.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Expansive inner bailey, stone donjon, and tenshu keep of Odawara Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537684142325-22KTWP2MNZGGP7T1ONEO/DSC06777.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e41a32c5-b7fd-4615-9587-78e9f794206f/IMG_2793.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/78eb8c35-5992-4837-b8b8-d4ac3d7a8b00/IMG_2742.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Like Osaka Castle, Hikone has a double moat. The outer moat is pictured above. The width of this moat makes clear it was for defensive purposes. The Ii Clan had no way of knowing the Tokugawa had ended Japan’s Warring States Period! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5a6da367-0f84-4b30-8017-deefea664495/IMG_2743.JPG Japan - Make it stand out A Gate complex at the far end of the bridge would have limited access to the inner moat beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/aa49c015-c368-4bdb-8fc9-dcd7b3ad8ff6/IMG_2753.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The inner moat, however, is largely aesthetic, a gorgeous man-made river where the castle around it seems almost like an afterthought. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0121087d-4736-4510-beca-3ee7dd92c7c3/IMG_2762.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The main entryway to Hikone Castle is a long, massive stone ramp leading up to the next bailey. Pictures don’t really do it justice, as the sheer size and height are truly awe-inspiring! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/041bbe3d-b1e7-4c05-a636-840d9746838d/IMG_2770.JPG Japan - Make it stand out I love this bridge too, featured in an impactful scene in the Shogun mini-series as a feature of “Osaka Castle” (played on screen by Himeji Castle!). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/89040aae-7066-43c1-af28-09c5cb71de68/IMG_2829.JPG Japan - Make it stand out This unique gatehouse leading into the inner bailey of Hikone Castle has a “ground-level” access, allowing much faster manning in an emergency, a nifty innovation, and one I’ve rarely seen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9da92d11-7f2d-4a44-862c-588ad84c13d6/IMG_2819.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Looking out from the garden side of Hikone’s First Bailey, you can see the inner moat and wall in the right foreground, the town beyond—complete with Edo-style buildings—and the beautiful Lake Biwa in the background. Did I mention that Hikone was built for aesthetic purposes? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9a68b62b-bce5-4762-bea4-1f7b776aabb8/IMG_2807.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The original—and very well preserved—keep of Hikone Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2abed7ca-ed05-469a-9e05-597bea159537/IMG_2796.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Not to be confused with concrete look-alikes, Hikone’s keep is all original. The preserved woodwork is exquisite! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/37ad280a-256f-491d-a744-b7257f412257/IMG_2826.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609281989881-IUMNJ41ZR1K4F8PN4I68/IMG_1917.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609287098385-JEW9VLIQTZVB5NV72Y41/IMG_1855.JPG Japan Besides the tenshu just visible across the river, Otemon (literally ‘Big Hand Gate’) is the first visual evidence a visitor gets of the medieval castle nearby. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609282050739-AWCOTIELKO1OB166S584/IMG_1857.JPG Japan The tenshu (keep) of Kakegawa Castle peeking out through the late Fall foliage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609282261899-P01FAUYXEVIKH0BGGYM8/IMG_1863.JPG Japan Kakegawa Castle is a hirayamashiro, or elevated plains castle, standing watch over the medieval town of Kakegawa. The small hill upon which the tenshumaru (one of the few times I’ve seen this word) was constructed is easily the highest elevation in the fertile Sakasa River valley. The stairs leading up from the honmaru are winding and, in some places, fairly steep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609283317456-FNAAVIIJC15XQUWSN1PH/IMG_1866.jpg Japan The final stretch of stairs leading up to the tenshu of Kakegawa Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609283676040-EH728BO95SPYCSGN7M5V/IMG_1903.JPG Japan Kakegawa’s tenshumaru as seen from a window of the yashiki (palace) still standing within the castle’s second bailey (ninomaru). It really is a photogenic remnant of medieval architecture! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609283983515-0PXQP751KDDFPRY1BOBK/IMG_1870.JPG Japan View from the top of Kakegawa Castle’s tenshu, down into the second bailey and the castle’s beautifully preserved yashiki, or palace. In later years, the palace served not only as the lord’s residence, but the rooms on the far side served as the police headquarters and other necessary administrative functions of local government. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609284171463-R0600JG5UVW1NDQK2OUH/IMG_1901.JPG Japan The inside of Kakegawa Castle’s palace area. Much more plainly decorated than some of the more ornate yashiki we’ve visited, but to be honest, I think I like this better! As always, the wooden floors of living spaces are covered in rice straw tatami mats and the rooms separated by sliding wood-framed paper shoji doors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609285633511-RHARSRMCRVQ50SSV1Z1A/IMG_1913.JPG Japan Kakegawa Castle tenshu peeking out over the roof of the palace and foliage below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1609286788625-70IWU3FA77SXAXEZASB9/IMG_1915.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1536994367247-VA7XZ0MPQGIQSLJ54OVG/IMG_8449.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586771007-97CFAM1XBC5SRHFVAVKQ/IMG_8445.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586814960-4DNMFDUXWDPA2BU2RYER/IMG_8450.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586879505-9D82RUCQHH3HSW8UST3Q/IMG_8482.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586922029-3XWJCVDNPLX9X3380FBW/IMG_8485.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586977967-N75GZTBSZRCHEI8RII4B/IMG_8495.JPG Japan Fairly interesting main entrance to the stone donjon base, which would have supported the castle’s tenshu. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537587019989-BPX347K2HT2T7T7EGT4E/IMG_8490.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537587065439-31GM4HZ0C14DJGUPQNIX/IMG_8501.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537587258941-8D14UZ81YT6K4EIQP8T5/IMG_8480.JPG Japan The Meiji Era prefectural building has been re-cast in the role of a museum. Saga families participated in some of the more significant events in Japanese history to include the invasions of Korea 1592-98 and the Meiji Restoration. This museum holds displays—to include a lot of original artwork—from those periods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537014118183-RBRE55KC0TYLKEYZWA6L/IMG_0235.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585712223-AWV95Y9EUCJQF43T4V53/IMG_0235.JPG Japan This was essentially all we could see from the train station. Looked at the time and decided we could get there and back in an hour. Just BARELY made the train, but it was worth the run. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585878427-JEM5M7S8W0CEX1DPQ4ZR/IMG_0237.JPG Japan As you can see from the ascending stone steps, Uwajima Castle gets few visitors these days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585921173-3SPPOH7SNPYH4SWNQLJ1/IMG_0245.JPG Japan Quite the imposing sight greets you as you reach the castle’s lower walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585968764-YGJVSR3Z57RJYOXVA0F7/IMG_0248.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537585997771-PU3JMPIP24QCW4OAV8C8/IMG_0251.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1537586059782-FIHY2W9TU6DE732QSMAD/IMG_0262.JPG Japan This picture, taken from the main bailey, shows why Uwajima Castle was built here, as it dominates the nearby harbor and town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604096563787-NLEY3IQQ9KPZTNH22NYH/IMG_1478.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604097214885-QAYSXGLGUAO2ENS2G532/IMG_1483.JPG Japan It doesn’t show up so well in the picture, but this long alleyway actually falls between the walls of the second and third baileys and is fairly steep, leaving potential attackers at a distinct disadvantage as they progressed toward the main bailey and the castle’s tenshu or keep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604097070860-6PMQDRMIBDBTII7EQ9I6/IMG_1499.JPG Japan View from the top floor of the tenshu down into the main bailey of Inuyama Castle. Nonetheless, it shows the height above the surrounding buildings and landscape that made the location a site favored to build a shrine and then a castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604097447250-IUU8DAP5Q20M8GEO56HJ/IMG_1488.JPG Japan The fortified gate leading into the main bailey at Inuyama Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604097541571-8XKH313S32EU0Z3SXG6Z/IMG_1512.JPG Japan The small tenshu of Inuyama Castle in all its glory. Note the COVID screening station set up under the awning, an unfortunate development at all Japanese castles, it seems, in 2020. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604097676341-07ZJZWXJMK05C3JW46HT/IMG_1536.JPG Japan It’s Inuyama Castle’s dominating perch above the Kiso River that marks the medieval structure at its most photogenic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604098021095-9HZF09DTVWR6JT4TZZVW/IMG_1562.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604101617054-WCPV4H64ZYK03RCOTRHU/IMG_1543.jpg Japan Make no mistake, Gifu Castle is way up there! Without the cable car, the hike alone—up and down the steep slopes—would have taken half the day. What an incredible place to build a castle! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604100179157-G4U88G9QH02ZZEVAFB69/IMG_1555.JPG Japan Gifu Castle is small, and seems to teeter precariously atop Mt. Kinka, yet maintains a few charming points that stand out, to include this bridge over an intentional cut in the rock below the castle walls. The cut and bridge were intended to cannalize attackers and then, should it become necessary, provide a means to remove the spanning bridge, usually by burning. It would have had the (permanent) effect of raising the drawbridge in a European castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604100328548-A1XSBIGL5GXORQXCSWYO/IMG_1579.JPG Japan What no doubt captured Oda Nobunaga’s attention at Gifu is the view … you can see forever—in all directions—up there! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604100479873-Q0KL05QC4HC837QTCN04/IMG_1580.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604100612572-EM5AUGPUCQQZEL3XWOUC/IMG_1589.JPG Japan Gifu Castle under the Oda Clan became famous for its extravagance and display of wealth. The golden accents to this remote, mountaintop tenshu are remarkable and, set against the natural beauty all around, quite striking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604100874391-6A6SDH28H0FF24VT8F5I/IMG_1602.JPG Japan Down at the base of Mt. Kinka, nothing really remains of the palace and castle grounds except a beautiful Chinese style garden. The irrigation system, coming down off the mountain, was originally designed to feed the water elements of the palace grounds, and the old stone stairs visible here remind visitors of that ancient intent, providing the slightest hint at the beauty this site once conveyed to the many foreign dignitaries who visited Gifu Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604101039376-A0COBC6E0R6Q1IBX4N4W/IMG_1613.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604098488856-QA61ILU7PX5VZJS2ECWQ/IMG_1544.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604102154770-5ZST4BL4J2IWJ53OU5XD/IMG_1800.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604102477482-AJ1YM59HD2A1QJBV2H91/IMG_1794.JPG Japan The moat at Okazaki Castle is fed by the nearby sea and so experiences high and low tides. At low tide, however, the moat becomes a soupy morass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604102697801-VTNC2SA30VXWR5X3I55R/IMG_1795.JPG Japan The bridge across the moat leading to the second bailey is quite attractive and representative of the time period. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604102993386-2CTVOAR9PH3K5S6PH13D/IMG_1787.JPG Japan The castle parking lot exists within what would have been the original outer bailey and the field you see here would have been used to marshal and train the army. The stone stairs to the left here and the long white wall are all that remains of the third bailey’s defenses. Note: Okazaki is NOT a big city … for some reason the apartment building behind this corner of the castle is perhaps the tallest structure in the town. Go figure! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604103147749-YQ224P3S6LWNNF18XQPA/IMG_1820.JPG Japan The only extant gatehouse at Okazaki. Much of Okazaki Castle was rebuilt in 1959 having been demolished in 1873 in accordance with Meiji Government ordinances related to castles—always potential rallying points for disaffected citizens inclined to rebel against increasingly strong central authority. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604103649427-QTSV1SL1T6IGE0D7XNIQ/IMG_1801.JPG Japan The rounded walls facing the main bailey at Okazaki Castle are virtually unique in Japan, and were designed by a Buddhist monk from the Saigo Clan who was the castle’s architect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604104040025-LVCF7CB8QHGAUHKSF94N/IMG_1796.JPG Japan The tower here overlooks the moat and is the only remaining tower at Okazaki Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604104109049-TUPTUOGF4UD5LVC2ADNJ/IMG_1814.JPG Japan The foliage has been allowed to grow quite close to the tenshu at Okazaki Castle, making it somewhat difficult to get good pictures of the small keep. Though the time of day of our visit didn’t help either as the best spot (above) turned out to have just a bit too much light to truly appreciate the castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604104351398-9WRFD49IL8LYD4LGGN6X/IMG_1813.JPG Japan The approach to Okazaki Castle’s main gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604104656833-AAL0SDNPF4RUF2812BE8/IMG_1823.JPG Japan For such a small castle, the inner pathways and support buildings were a complete maze and would have been intensely confusing for any attacking force. Only a small portion of the reconstructed support buildings remain today, but every indication is that the type of compound pictured above crowded much of the second and third baileys at Okazaki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1604104923981-3ZCBN9OWKK3W0L7YRT5G/IMG_1806.JPG Japan Not a great picture of the tenshu at Okazaki Castle, but the best I could do under the circumstance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1559359901487-YZEUHL6KU59XJLPXB264/IMG_0509.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1559359251580-NJVTSIR2AIOROZXR1SOD/IMG_0416.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1559359346095-WHEAM0OBDQ671JAA8C64/IMG_0424.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1559359419807-H9HRFDBTNW96SIMO29L2/IMG_0428.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1559359476978-LVKW54088TVYPFF0992C/IMG_0437.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1559359559229-U4WBUZFY9NKY1TOYRSM1/IMG_0447.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1559359639692-3MEDHEVVLYN229MA2BAB/IMG_0456.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1559359729629-MIJ430093JNSPEVLI7FU/IMG_0454.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1559359819971-OORN0L2E5HTAO3STKUUV/IMG_0504.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e21016b8-3469-4e30-815c-f4d303aeb15e/IMG_2563.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7d3154bf-c561-4d53-aaed-b304e66c1e0a/IMG_2568.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e9c65d53-8766-49be-bc81-11c7da38f9b1/IMG_2570.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/20eda03b-14b5-46a0-81e6-2ee583fb4b8c/IMG_2597.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ae2e4a74-342c-4c69-a16b-f0cac72d6dca/IMG_2577.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bc166000-1374-4835-90c0-263ead1e941b/IMG_2585.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/eecf4cd1-9181-43e4-af44-c3cb58a40c1d/IMG_2587.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The yawning well of Otaki Castle lies well below the level of the central keep in what would have been either the 2nd or 3rd bailey. Only the keep remains today, none of the bailey walls, but this well and one small gate have been preserved in the shadow of the extant castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ef87e80d-a060-48d4-b8de-5e3b4054921b/IMG_2594.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4e178d9e-0af6-4e59-84e9-a1f74a5cba6f/IMG_2608.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e1de71cc-6ab0-4d63-9c21-2eadf88fc7f3/IMG_2600.JPG Japan - Make it stand out This path approaches the juncture where the 2nd Bailey would have met the Central Bailey and heads down to the valley floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ec7805bd-6804-4a5f-bd3f-3869d73b2c6a/IMG_2602.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/16460799-63d6-4554-88a9-8de0ab061182/IMG_2607.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/31893b74-706f-495f-ac8b-18013b38b791/IMG_2614.JPG Japan - Make it stand out This male and female well—it appears to be a name only and not indicative of any segregation of drinking water—is nearly two meters deep. It lies along the steep path leading from the 2nd Bailey to the keep and is fed by underground springs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3a299690-7e41-49d5-bf99-75bae9f19b16/IMG_2626.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7ad790a4-6a9e-4c98-b31c-c92deaa4ce75/IMG_2615.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7014abf9-1845-43b2-857b-25ace35e0275/IMG_2639.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5f7b31ee-de0a-45a0-bddd-6d53af3c08a4/IMG_2646.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4ac6f873-fe8a-45da-b88a-18d2daac06d8/IMG_2625.JPG Japan - Make it stand out This is the view from Tateyama Castle north toward Tokyo, none of which is visible despite its proximity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e262f32b-feda-4410-a9e7-d2bf36db962e/IMG_2617.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Ignore the military base in the foreground, this is the view to the west from Tateyama Castle…even on a hazy day. I can only imagine what it must look like on a clear one! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603601493330-WK8XNNPJAOQ07Z6HO1RI/340px-Iwo_Jima_-_Landing_Plan.jpg Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603619821233-VEPS47N8FNE72VPBEQR7/IMG_1360.jpg Japan The view of Red, Yellow, and Blue beaches (right to left) taken from the first ridgeline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603601813094-QUMEKT3DN1LSMGOUGHFT/IMG_1362.JPG Japan A view of Mt. Suribachi from the first ridgeline, just beyond the military crest. Green and Red Beaches are just visible to the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603601883406-X1A82SKXRKIGCU0JYDVG/IMG_1384.JPG Japan Mt. Suribachi from the waterline. Note how steeply the terrain rises to the right. The “sand”—really black volcanic ash—is very deep here and difficult to traverse even unburdened. The figure in the near distance provides some idea of both the elevation of the sand and the rapid rise of the topography beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603601949475-MRSOTVILZEMKOSEUXNSL/IMG_1423.JPG Japan Closer view of Mt. Suribachi looming over Red and Green Beaches. It’s every bit as steep as it looks! At the time of the invasion, air and naval bombardment had largely denuded Suribachi of its foliage, leaving it one humongous, solid rock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603602036448-B7U74T3RX84R31HNR4QX/IMG_1411.JPG Japan The heights, cliffs, and caves to the north formed, with Suribachi, the perfect crossfire for cannons and machine-guns. Inland Japanese artillery, firing from thoroughly camouflaged and fortified positions, were registered to fired upon the beaches with great accuracy, creating a variation of hell on earth for those Marines caught in the maelstrom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603602161183-5R0448ATV8TCXSEDZ8HL/IMG_1399.JPG Japan Another view of the rapid rise in elevation from just above the waterline. This beach is not easy to traverse even today—without being fired upon—and takes much longer to reach the high ground than it appears it should. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603602263783-SCEXGB7AJSCRSX35CR9R/IMG_1387.JPG Japan The view from the waterline west toward the first ridgeline. There are actually multiple minor ridges of deep black sand running parallel to one another, complicating any attempt to cross the beach, but as this photo shows, it doesn’t appear that way at all. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603602311327-GR1EZNSCHFXGGJUBVF9B/IMG_1397.JPG Japan Further north but still at the waterline, the first sand dune blocks all but a tiny glimpse of the first ridgeline (the foliage barely visible here) west of Yellow Beach. This dune did not, however, offer much cover from either Suribachi to the south, or the cliffs to the north. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603602476918-Z68LAZPCLLPQO5JAPKD1/IMG_1406.JPG Japan At the first ridge, the Imperial Japanese forces waited in well-prepared positions. This concrete pillbox has been thoroughly blasted to the point that its front aperture is no longer recognizable as being man-made. Having survived crossing the beach, the Marines pressed on to what they hoped was cover up above, but ran into this first defensive line instead, and vicious, close-in fighting erupted all up and down the line. Many of these positions were not sited to fire upon the beach, but were off-set, on the subtle reverse slope of the first ridgeline and dug into the second. This meant that naval gunfire—with its flat trajectory—was unlikely to have much effect, and many of these fortified positions would only become visible once the assaulting Marines cleared the military crest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603602544684-NJCA5YIV21OH1TUV9E7V/IMG_1365.JPG Japan What looks like it used to be a Type-92 heavy machinegun remains in the pillbox above, still facing obliquely down the ridgeline toward Green Beach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603602692299-VGYC7KCFPWE2HTT8IHLK/IMG_1465.JPG Japan This large-bore cannon position on the lower reaches of Mt. Suribachi, has been blasted away, but the gun has survived in remarkable shape, all things considered. These guns kept the larger U.S. Navy warships at arm’s length and could, in a pinch, be used to fire upon ground troops as well. This position, however, faced the western beaches, perhaps saving it from the ravages of combat on that side of the steep volcano. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603603022370-CD7D3ZQYWJ0XEVIDOM9K/IMG_1467.JPG Japan Just below the cannon position pictured above, this extensive bunker appears to be in great shape … but alas, we were not allowed inside! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603603249971-1JKYMSBXGGDZPPBYK3NS/IMG_1449.JPG Japan The view of the island battlefield from atop Mt. Suribachi. The camera faces north with the first day’s landing beaches to the right and the western beaches to the left. The white buildings in the distance mark the approximate location of then Airfield No. 2. The road visible to right center tracks between the first and second ridgelines as measured from the eastern beaches. This is a tiny island, far too small to have witnessed a 35-day battle, but helps explain why the initial estimate was that the campaign would take only five days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603603309716-1KN7XB1U935O5G0UJAAN/IMG_1450.JPG Japan Shipwreck Beach on Iwo-to, these vessels are indeed left over from the 1945 battle, as are many remnants of the fight scattered around the island … including an undetermined amount of unexploded ordinance. This is not a place you stray from clearly identified—and cleared—trails. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603605631281-X6JIC537P6BT5NH9F1N1/IMG_1441.jpg Japan View from atop Mt. Suribachi of the invasion beaches, from bottom to top: Green, Red, Yellow, and Blue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603603483079-WI3RNSWKA40EQHXLCPCM/IMG_1472.JPG Japan The entrance to GEN Kuribayashi’s command bunker in the low highlands on the northern end of the island. Again, would have liked to go inside, but apparently much preparation work is required to allow such a thing and we were not allowed inside. That said, our guide mentioned that, while certain of the tunnels required passage on hands and knees, these generally linked large natural and man-made caverns and galleries within. Multiple positions were connected underground in this manner, a development that kept the defenders from being too terribly affected by the preparatory naval and air bombardment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603603632472-JDCILXSIUEVIW9BHW0IV/IMG_1407.jpg Japan The Reunion of Honor cenotaph, situated just below the second ridgeline overlooking Yellow and Red beaches. This is where the annual Reunion of Honor ceremony takes place for veterans and representatives of both governments and both armed forces. This year’s COVID outbreak and subsequent travel restrictions made attendance by octogenarian veterans dangerous, so U.S. Forces Japan and the Government of Japan filmed the event so they could view the ceremony online from the safety of their homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1603603687818-22DGY2O7V2UESFPWNL4H/IMG_1443.JPG Japan The U.S. Marine Corps memorial atop Mt. Suribachi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fe6917a2-d368-4913-bb16-0386c3778a7a/IMG_2976.JPG Japan - Other Sites in Japan Temples, Walls, and Archaeological Sites https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e8c2e513-cb45-4b25-8122-52bf24d5edd6/IMG_3177.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3ca00ef8-905e-41b2-aba0-98a195e5de5f/yo01.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/95e0b082-9888-4cfd-aea4-9bad372a3515/yo02.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d4fe8d92-82c1-4e78-964c-79437e3fa30f/yo03.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Throughout my visit to Yoshinogari I couldn’t help but notice the similarity of construction, design, and even conceptualization of defense between these people and those on the Korean Peninsula during the same time period. Once again reminded me that these folks have far more in common than either will ever admit! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bb422576-0b0a-4484-a634-6a0e4aef4108/yo04.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b409988e-6891-46b1-97a7-acc8c9fd6de5/yo05.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3aedb3ab-ebe4-428b-a377-52c29ecc8282/yo06.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/518a0f61-f711-4a79-960d-280c5979eb89/yo07.jpg Japan - Make it stand out View from one of the high towers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/534fc132-1912-443d-85a8-433c765c7f80/yo08.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/df52313e-d0fb-4d7e-873b-143755be3e25/yo09.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Essentially the political and religious center of the site, this large wooden building was where the ruler lived, conducted rites, and held court. Pictures don’t really do it justice…it’s a HUGE building, and quite impressive given the time period. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dd44cc15-0a9e-449f-a312-74e4dc1e47f4/IMG_2732.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Monument marking the position of Ishida Mitsunari’s command post on the day of the battle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/40c16c1e-d3b9-4917-9708-fe8c96d1772a/IMG_2735.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Map of the Sekigahara Battlefield with a snapshot of opposing forces’ positions. Tokugawa’s forces are shown here in red while those of the Hideyoshi loyalists are in blue. The outcome of this massive battle hinged on the defection—along with his 15,000 troops—of Kobayakawa (depicted to the northeast on the map in pink) to the Tokugawa side. As Kobayakawa anchored the loyalists’ right flank, this was a devastating blow and the army fell apart under the onslaught. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7dcfc3cf-01c5-4b72-b409-abb658fab065/IMG_2694.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The Sekigahara Battlefield museum lies at the center of the medieval battlefield. It includes a wide selection of campaign and battle maps and runs a series of very well-done cartoons that help explain what was a fairly chaotic and difficult to grasp battle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1f685db3-7646-44af-addd-484dd5051576/IMG_2707.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The top floor of the museum includes a large map built into the floor, with key positions mapped out. The windows all around then allow the visitor to clearly correlate map locations with real ground in a way I found interesting. Since the entire valley has been built over—the battlefield has not been preserved for 400(+) years—this was very useful and provided a mental guide as we drove and tromped from site to site. Apologies for the extreme glare, but I couldn’t get rid of it no matter from which angle I took the picture…the downside to having a room surrounded by windows! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2e79686e-8b12-4766-bd7e-39723d6b6def/IMG_2702.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Actual positions are generally marked with flags visible from some distance. This was the loyalist command post where Ishida Mitsunari commanded the battle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3c609dfa-b895-4792-8d2c-88a0eaad3dae/IMG_2720.JPG Japan - Make it stand out This was the hill on the loyalists’ right flank where Kobayakawa Hideaki and his men were stationed, essentially watching the battle unfold in the valley until such time as they charged down into the flank of their own side, throwing the loyalist army—and cause—into disarray. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/57ac87fc-2e87-45a4-b2ec-f983f8fa26c5/IMG_2729.JPG Japan - Make it stand out This is the view of the battlefield from Ishida’s command post. From this low hill he’d have had a pretty good vantage point from which to issue orders and make adjustments. It would have also offered him a front-row seat to Kobayakawa’s treachery from the hill just to the right of this photo, and he likely watched in horror as his carefully laid plans were torn asunder. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/32a1f33f-bb47-49d7-8bfc-ec79d687b653/gb01.jpg Japan - Make it stand out The path leading over buried remnants of the Genko Borui and emptying out at Hakata Bay. Couldn’t seem to find a name for this Torii Gate anywhere! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/65e7e73d-077c-49c3-b184-38ece521bf71/gb02.jpg Japan - Make it stand out View looking West along the beach at Hakata Bay, where tens of thousands of Mongols and Korean auxiliaries came ashore in 1276 to wreak such havoc upon the nearby city of Hakata (now Fukuoka). The Genko Borui—and stiff resistance by the Samurai posted there—would prevent a repeat performance by Mongols and Chinese Auxiliaries in 1281. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f64a5490-f29b-4a96-bffc-fe2d5dbec0f6/gb03.jpg Japan - Make it stand out This section shows a reconstructed segment of the Genko Borui. Note the slightly darker stones along the bottom contrasted with the lighter ones stacked above. The darker stones mark what remains of the original fortification. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/da4c6436-068a-494b-b9e7-84386b17a967/gb04.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Here it shows up better. The low-lying, dark stones disappearing out of frame to the right is all that remains of the original here, the rest has been carefully reconstructed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/88d8514d-bd9a-4992-b23b-85d6ff243c68/gb05.jpg Japan - Make it stand out At most points along the wall, this is all that pokes above the sand and overgrowth, but these stones were originally placed 740 years ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f819ed9c-15aa-494c-b708-2c7757290476/gb06.jpg Japan - Make it stand out The original stones are a bit higher here, as is the reconstructed wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/af3160de-52d6-4cef-9ec4-f78a8803bed9/gb07.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Where I visited the wall disappears into the light foliage just off the beach. Still, if you peer through the trees, that subtle ridge out there indicates where the sand has slowly swallowed what remains of the long wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e26821c9-daa3-4d2b-87f9-7027491b1289/gb08.jpg Japan - Make it stand out These vertical markers indicate the existence of the wall underfoot. At most places it is now completely covered, nature having taken back that which the Samurai labored to clear and build. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/658e52aa-847f-4571-ba7a-2699de956b17/gb09.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e09680ff-4f28-4966-8019-7ea96a4de898/IMG_2299.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d6a9dce7-acff-4987-8760-d6f2e006d828/IMG_2246.JPG Japan - Make it stand out You’ll almost always find a Torii gate at the entrance to a temple in Japan. This one nicely frames the temple beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/518e8e23-8e4f-460d-b2b8-e36d484b075c/IMG_2249.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Another feature of Japanese temples is a station for ritual cleansing, always with water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/894ea2e9-84a3-4f66-aad8-d83957b788f8/IMG_2247.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6096cf69-6689-4942-89c9-a4d5d162f69a/IMG_2250.JPG Japan - Make it stand out It’s quite an attractive site, even for someone who’s seen so many of the temples and shrines scattered across Japan. Of course—and don’t judge me—I came here while researching the Battle of Tennoji as the closing act of the Siege of Osaka Castle. The battle would have been visible to the denizens inhabiting or working within the Tennoji Temple precincts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e44bf309-2876-42bd-b0a3-0c6a90bbfe87/IMG_2258.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The main hall of the temple complex, I like how the shadows highlight the neatly raked gravel within the expansive courtyard. This represents what must be a colossal effort each morning with tourists like me forever stepping out onto the gravel to get better pictures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c4722ef0-495e-4cdf-a27e-03d5b639f6b6/IMG_2259.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The bells hung inside the covered walkway are, I believe, representative of donors to the temple. And yes…I had to step out onto the gravel to get this picture (sorry!). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a56c031c-fd3e-4b89-9ce1-a7904e5eb0db/IMG_2261.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The Kondo main hall (The Golden Pavilion) and beautiful five-story pagoda of Shitennoji. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e1b3c7ce-b5d6-452e-a55d-fe84956ff59b/IMG_2271.JPG Japan - Make it stand out You can see just beyond the outer wall many small shrines clustered around the central temple. This was a really large complex! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/61a99c3d-5bb7-4310-99c5-fe635867d675/IMG_2285.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The pagoda is quite striking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c852fdc8-ac92-4205-8927-ad85f33ac327/IMG_2296.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dcca7f0f-dbad-4a49-98b2-dc8230b88ca8/IMG_2324.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The Rokujido or Six O-clock Hall was constructed at the beginning of the Edo period, early 1600s. It is one of the oldest buildings still standing in the Shitennoji Temple complex. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1b044471-cd8c-46bd-acf7-6632ecae895b/IMG_2341.JPG Japan - Make it stand out So many shrines surrounding the main temple! All different shapes and sizes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/34b94f4b-7909-432f-8de4-17ffc71d62b0/IMG_2320.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Interestingly, cats are carved into the wooden frames of nearly every doorway and gate at Shitennoji. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a58f49e7-9c9a-42d6-b4e6-db84dbfcd262/IMG_2928.JPG Japan - Japanese Castle Ruins Castles Without Original or Rebuilt Keeps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/81721971-8b54-4f7c-a3a3-51d750af724f/Edo01.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/513f8902-45bd-47e7-a6cb-f5983831b16d/Edo02.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Edo Castle offers pretty spectacular views, quite different from any other castle besides, perhaps, Osaka. I really love how the old and new seem to merge in the reflection on this castle’s expansive moats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2a7299a8-9dcb-4807-8d1c-f144eb271573/Edo03.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/054f1467-f2f7-4958-a1bd-9c82c42b11a7/Edo04.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dd6c2ad0-6c7d-4efd-923d-64fab88a47f4/Edo05.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4f76db02-bd0e-4978-a5f5-2cc2d9763aba/Edo06.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1fb7cf08-5255-4a17-8ccd-2a5a81e0a305/Edo07.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2de1ad6e-abcd-4927-967a-8c99d8c3274b/Edo08.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/49f88d5e-69c3-40e8-a82a-4751e0478f63/Edo09.jpg Japan - Make it stand out I also run and bike here . . . it’s the only place in Tokyo where you can go more than a hundred meters without hitting a crosswalk and signal lights! The path around Chiyoda runs for 5 kilometers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4189e276-40cb-4ac5-9028-7238bda98803/azuchi01.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e54ff00d-44e1-4069-8a6c-953efe630dd5/azuchi02.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Ignore the preservation work going on at Soken-ji Temple half-way up the massive, terraced approach to Azuchi Castle, what you first notice about this fortress is the sheer amount of stone in evidence. Miles and miles of it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/94173310-53e6-4309-9c00-f8cd8416608d/azuchi03.jpg Japan - Make it stand out The main central staircase—wide enough for ten men to march in column—just keeps going up and up, through one stone-clad terrace after another. It just gets more and more impressive the farther you climb! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8e9efbe4-76ed-4044-a4ac-4f93a6c2be00/azuchi04.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/11762b12-5a14-4cf9-9b4c-a116733336f6/azuchi05.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6f02e6c9-3ad8-40f2-83b5-ebbde3de2e54/azuchi06.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Reaching the stone base of what would have been a truly massive keep. The area was so overgrown it was difficult at times to imagine, but you get the distinct impression Azuchi would have been a truly awe-inspiring sight in its heyday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bf27367d-2bc1-47d2-9a19-a4c1848b0687/azuchi07.jpg Japan - Make it stand out The final stairs leading up into the inner bailey—completely taken up by the massive central structure, now long gone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/842e0382-dc18-4b9a-8c8d-9850ea362126/azuchi08.jpg Japan - Make it stand out It’s difficult to imagine the size of the wooden building that would have topped this stone base. The foundation stones give some idea, but it would have been simply massive, required to support the weight of an eight-story structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6bd13f0e-05de-41aa-ac52-23ec6f59f65e/azuchi09.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Oda Nobunaga’s “tomb” is included within the first bailey. Not really his final resting place, it is more of a cenotaph memorial to the great unifier of Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f200c99e-9795-45f4-a169-b35b7714ecca/azuchi10.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cacd5864-e15f-4df3-ba9d-85913675e995/azuchi11.jpg Japan - Make it stand out The original Soken-ji Temple was build within the walls of Azuchi. Funded by Nobunaga himself, it was reportedly intended to be a place where he could be worshipped. Having burned down as well, only this gate and a single, three-story pagoda survive today. After the fire, Soken-ji was moved to its current location along the main central staircase of the castle entrance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d454ae25-cbe2-47d3-8574-097d302838a1/azuchi12.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b13fff3b-4602-4c3c-9f6b-4b5455436c86/fuku01.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9c46badc-91da-4761-af33-d2ca95a6993b/fuku02.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Was fairly disappointed with the pictures from Fukuoka Castle. Unfortunately they don’t do the site justice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e77b6dad-229c-4a0c-89ba-52a271bf7f2b/fuku03.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Once again . . . can’t recommend strongly enough Japanese castle-hunting in the Autumn! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f5f0ec72-5b0b-4b47-b497-346a66bcb59d/fuku04.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2f633d88-c866-4778-b4bd-e8f9dff945d3/fuku05.jpg Japan - Make it stand out The prolonged donjon and the long, thin hall it once supported, seem fairly unique to me and would have presented a visually impressive image from outside and below the outer walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9740a060-310d-41c1-9925-32a244264fe4/fuku06.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/529b672b-3ca1-47a7-b7b6-3c2e55176814/fuku07.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Fukuoka Castle has several of these fairly complicated entrances designed to confuse attackers who managed to breach the gates. Of course, one has to imagine the wooden gate complex built atop and around this stone-lined entryway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d838bff6-df71-4bd9-a9ae-fcba649b6344/fuku08.jpg Japan - Make it stand out The road leading up to the castle’s main entrance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ca88e49a-987f-40d3-9e27-c0b4d1d32f8c/taka01.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b922cb24-4444-49bb-a942-44326814d521/taka02.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/af020ff4-f3d1-4a41-84d1-9b468fba589a/taka03.jpg Japan - Make it stand out The only way to reach the first and main baileys of Takamatsu Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/66d30c5a-2fbc-433c-8ac9-6f9b67bfca0e/taka04.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/847d4ecd-71d7-4c6c-92af-7a2588cba92f/taka05.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/344974c5-3063-4d46-86ca-8d3855096952/taka06.jpg Japan - Make it stand out View from the donjon base, looking toward the castle’s sea gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7c0d7f40-cf02-41a3-82d0-aa04b1924628/taka07.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Another photo from the donjon, looking down upon the wooden access bridge and into the second bailey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f7981f5e-a528-47b9-a9a4-1fc5945cc96c/oka01.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f2da49c4-8ff2-4b6f-9b0d-fada0732de8e/oka02.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Looking from one end of the U-shaped castle walls across gorge to the other side. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c742133e-da15-4bb9-aaa8-3c9ec648c6e0/oka03.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b84eeb62-290b-4405-a960-e0e1d81e7cc2/oka04.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/940f046c-afd2-46ca-9238-51b840ac1dbc/oka05.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a9ad61c2-5b51-4634-978e-4bd801982d73/naga01.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/688a88c8-70cd-4a9b-bd27-6367ea81372d/naga02.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Nagashino Castle was so heavily damaged during the siege that it was abandoned shortly after the garrison was relieved and never repaired. All that remains today are remnants of the packed-earth donjon and the dry moat which protected it. There being no evidence of masonry anywhere, it would appear that Nagashino Castle’s strength lay in its position atop a triangle of cliffs that overlooked the Kansagawa and Uregawa Rivers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6d5fc8ef-4a67-4f0e-b362-4abdddc33fe2/naga03.jpg Japan - Make it stand out What would have served as a donjon or base for the tenshu at Nagashino is pictured above. It doesn’t appear that the castle was overly large, but due to the steepness of the cliffs above the two rivers, a small garrison could concentrate on defending the only approachable side of the castle and thus hold off a much larger force. Okudaira’s intrepid defenders held out under siege and multiple assaults for weeks until the Oda-Tokugawa relief army finally arrived. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d555c550-e4b7-4fdd-8722-6bf6d698f8ae/naga04.jpg Japan - Make it stand out The Nagashino donjon lies center-left here and the enclosed main bailey in the open area to the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/932dea7c-8901-41a7-b890-c567ea2ceac9/naga05.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Apologies … this is the only photo in my entire gallery not taken by me or my wife, but I couldn’t get across the river to get the shot and felt it needed to be included for perspective. Nagashino Castle would have towered atop the cliffs barely visible behind the heavy foliage of the arrow-shaped landscape. The castle grounds would have extended just beyond the multi-colored pennants in the distance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/43612a27-2dd1-47a7-880c-f39490a56d63/naga06.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Rammed-earth construction leaves its mark much longer than might otherwise be expected, and castle ruins of this type are found all over Japan and Korea. They were generally topped by wood and plaster walls and towers that acted in much the same way as the later, stone-clad castles. Artist depictions of Nagashino Castle seem to vary greatly and so it is difficult to ascertain at this point whether the walls at the time of the battle were stone-clad or not. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/27cdaace-f936-4a4c-a861-efa2807a547d/naga07.jpg Japan - Make it stand out In truth, as with so many places of historical significance, there’s no longer much to see at Nagashino. Still, I’m terribly thrilled to have once again walked ground of such historical significance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/119de3a5-40db-4eb0-beaa-d582b1f43a77/ki01.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c4189c79-b0dc-4417-878b-8e5e44778990/ki02.jpg Japan - Make it stand out A true fusion of 7th Century Baekje castle design and construction with extant Yamato Japanese styles, Kinojo offers an interesting glimpse into a period of important military transition for early Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7e41439f-f2f5-4e73-921a-4e670d5fa591/ki03.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/637c3feb-f309-4030-97c7-7d9fefeb0289/ki04.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b132c322-deed-4099-bcca-e417629400f1/ki05.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Reflecting Korean castle design philosophy, Kinojo is missing the layered, bailey system and central tenshu of Japanese castles, even those rammed-earth and timber specimens which predate Kinojo. This is clearly a Korean castle, laid out and likely constructed—at least in the initial phases—by refugee Baekje stone-masons and castle builders. This model is on display in the small but very well done visitor’s center near the castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/63b42e2f-4d54-45fd-8b6e-e844be4bc2c9/ki06.jpg Japan - Make it stand out As in Korea, attempts were made to make the top of the masonry walls easier for defenders to traverse. Here, restoration efforts have attempted to replicate that effort. This design tendency would evolve into the smooth, paved wall tops found in later Korean fortifications and Japanese castles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/830361bc-2b20-459b-a024-fffa93537c31/ki07.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Funny, but the walk here immediately reminded me of Namhansanseong just south of Seoul. Which makes sense, as that fortification too was initially designed by the Kingdom of Silla, a 7th Century contemporary and rival to Baekje. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9c1cab57-1278-4e81-8a5f-1106db6f1c62/ki08.jpg Japan - Make it stand out A fascinating design feature no doubt learned the hard way through two centuries of castle-building on the Korean Peninsula. The hole pictured here allowed water pooling against the inside of the castle wall—an especially poignant concern during the annual monsoon season—to exit the wall without undermining its foundation. Both Korean and Japanese future castle builders would pay significant attention to water management. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/73ec630c-1dd2-4d05-bf16-1bc4b6dca901/ki09.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/342ac3d1-c8a1-4cb4-ba42-6c997dcaa703/ki10.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/16482f35-c5e4-4a67-a5e3-110b1b3a8ba2/IMG_2983.JPG Japan - Japan Throughout our twelve years in Japan we traveled a lot of places and took a lot of pictures. Many of these are included in the galleries below. Hope you enjoy the trip! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1dadc48e-2c50-46fa-99a7-1d1d532a1912/Japan+Castle+Map_29JAN23.jpg Japan - Make it stand out Locations with pictures included in this gallery. Sites marked with a black circle indicate a Japanese “castle” as defined below. Red circles indicate castle “ruins”. Blue circles represent non-castle sites—I do actually visit some of those! The links will take you to the appropriate gallery (castle, ruin, etc.) but each listed site is not built into a separate webpage as I’ve done with some other picture galleries. The exception is Kyoto, which—constructed later than the rest of the collection—actually does have its own webpage. I may or may not provide each Japanese site its own page some day in the future as it is an EXTREMELY time consuming process. But for the time being, I beg your patience in having to scroll through to find the indicated castle, ruin, or other historical site you might be looking for. Still, this pictorial depiction represents, I think, a step forward and should help with trip planning, etc. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/27309c00-60ba-47a1-b0e5-5b3806374063/IMG_2807.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3d462f0d-19fc-4336-96ec-bd72b0acdd48/IMG_2896.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9b0eb102-21f0-4c84-86dd-78da403f3545/IMG_3282.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/99de201e-30b1-47db-9ebe-6eee63cc1b58/IMG_3138.JPG Japan - Kyoto Japan’s capital from 794 to 1869, many consider Kyoto to be the cultural heart of Japan. There’s so much to see and learn but we had limited time (and uncooperative weather)…so please enjoy a tiny taste of this exquisite historical and cultural site. The sites that follow below are included in the order in which we visited in just one action-packed day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/535b0645-38f4-4a29-ab31-22a516b70e69/IMG_2973.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f9670d54-28cc-408f-8871-69fc22f264ba/IMG_2975.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f0a48da1-dfdc-4b52-bd71-e317d6dd58bc/IMG_2977.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/537d68b5-8e24-4246-a808-4463a1174fd5/IMG_2984.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b1d1e1d8-31b4-4c53-bd6f-fd521c0f00b3/IMG_2987.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/25d00f11-7e9c-4c0b-8166-e43d2ed6b1fb/IMG_2994.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/72ad2c54-6d0f-44aa-9e3d-f88023b98155/IMG_3005.JPG Japan - Make it stand out As mentioned above, the grounds are almost Asian Fairytale perfect…but the golden temple is just stunning to behold and so everything else around—no matter how beautiful—sort of fades into the background. That said…it’s a very pretty background! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b89ccf94-2916-4781-a33d-b4400db5c10f/IMG_3008.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3a2fbde1-e504-425b-b93f-324be1c87651/IMG_3034.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/474f6057-d5d3-44d3-ba90-949fc764b00d/IMG_3015.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4e4aad22-6897-4f1a-a9ef-ac76d5652c64/IMG_3013.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3dd9ebbc-25b2-474e-aa09-82c3367564b1/IMG_3020.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e6664659-4654-4cb1-a50f-c111091202b9/IMG_3030.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Inside view of the temple building adjoining the rock garden…typically sparse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9cdb0199-28e7-4f29-8d08-90ca510a6666/IMG_3028.JPG Japan - Make it stand out And this is it. The much studied and analyzed Zen Rock Garden at Ryoanji. Apparently it captures enough of the imagination that whole books have been written about the meaning behind the rock selection, size, placement, and orientation. It was all well beyond me, but was certainly a peaceful spot and many of our fellow visitors sat on the sideboards staring out into the garden for the whole time we were there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/94181400-77d5-4cef-bf4d-2e6ece08a70e/IMG_3069.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d98fc597-86fb-47dd-878c-0bdf1ef3a3d8/IMG_3059.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/735c4407-8988-4166-8374-6094abaec45a/IMG_3057.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/92c5810a-2c1b-4862-84dc-82f65897097d/IMG_3062.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The courtyard of this shrine is HUGE! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/afd46088-e295-430f-ad2e-8d5b286606b8/IMG_3063.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f1496bc2-ca05-4a26-8974-39cd49e04971/IMG_3071.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b459cb49-1b1a-4d40-90cd-e7ff82a43dfb/IMG_3112.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/aaad8c59-aac0-4246-9340-22b7ced48afc/IMG_3140.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8b32bbb5-5906-4798-83e3-819258adad18/IMG_3080.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1f7f5d0c-bebc-42ec-8437-f1d3ef1e08b9/IMG_3085.JPG Japan - Make it stand out I love the majestic entryway to Kiyomizudera…and yes, you’ll find folks wearing yukata all over Kyoto, but we seemed to encounter more of them here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e8845638-fe14-43a5-9177-89c9f793cde4/IMG_3106.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Given how long Kyoto remained the capital, it’s not surprising that there are shrines, temples, historic places, and pagodas seemingly popping up out of the vegetation. Can’t even remember the name of this pagoda but it was beautifully situated a short distance—and clearly visible—from the top deck of Kiyomizudera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bfb4fbad-3e3b-4104-937a-abd24afdb0d9/IMG_3103.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Looking down from the temple’s expansive deck, you can see where the water emerges from the mountainside. Tradition claims that this water is especially pure, something of great importance to adherents of both Buddhism and Shintoism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a0ad3923-dad9-4760-a1c5-ad2d884a0884/IMG_3105.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f428d29a-91b6-4b64-bbdc-20a43730cbda/IMG_3110.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Everything turn within the Kiyomizudera compound seems to bring some quaint and intriguing scene. It’s just a really pretty place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/59c989de-2199-4478-93ea-6be9a7587acd/IMG_3111.JPG Japan - Make it stand out People line up to drink from or just wash their hands in the special water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e039dedb-0b01-406d-9bc7-f80b91d98519/IMG_3124.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Everything at Kiyomizudera was beautiful, but its not until you walk down to the valley floor and look up that you realize you’ll never forget the view! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/46094ac7-3172-443b-a42a-cdae7b79af95/IMG_3130.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The entire temple—to include the extensive scaffolding—was constructed without the use of a single nail. This view makes you walk a little more softly when you get back up there on the way out! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/58c3bee2-5688-4958-9539-0cb86245a928/IMG_3138.JPG Japan - Make it stand out A final parting shot…just because. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5d901b1f-5ddb-48c6-a56a-479573711454/IMG_3154.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/20d8aed2-859b-46f1-9c21-47cbdc468e9f/IMG_3148.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1d882731-ffbd-4223-9f19-c83643ffa452/IMG_3188.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cbe97c4c-bbfd-4818-b3c0-e666d5c41cba/IMG_3147.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5442e228-3176-4f8e-9599-c85e7c1b89ea/IMG_3156.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/09978303-0df0-4da3-8f4e-975871df33d3/IMG_3166.JPG Japan - Make it stand out There must be a hundred or more different minor shrines here and they seem to have been erected wherever space permitted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/14eb4da6-3014-42dd-a937-4b5b4300f2db/IMG_3177.JPG Japan - Make it stand out But this is what people come to see—and capture in digits! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9db51151-3f8b-4de6-9b75-b43d9fdb8887/IMG_3172.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5384b062-c7ca-45ed-b13f-d708810b89c6/IMG_3179.JPG Japan - Make it stand out When you’re hiking it, it seems the orange tunnel will simply go on forever! Still, it was a fun visit and, as you can see, we took some nice shots as well! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3c815495-4a8e-4678-afe9-571c64a35edf/IMG_3284.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f5763da8-ac12-4743-8951-a6bd8c2290fd/IMG_3213.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/248839fb-3142-4517-95cd-5e2a562c4006/IMG_3215.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3200ff88-68c7-427b-96b8-692180d21f6d/IMG_3225.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/12a3b1f8-bbc1-4358-9065-d29a22c3713c/IMG_3229.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5f4e97b7-eb03-4f8e-9e42-c3e7e1f34e7c/IMG_3256.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Everywhere within the precincts of the long outer wall the grounds were this manicured. Was quite a story-book setting! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/acd1ef02-da74-4d6e-96c8-15f2027254a6/IMG_3258.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2c14e9c2-bb1f-4aea-bf32-2da835ef1222/IMG_3284.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The main hall and courtyard. This is another MASSIVE wooden building that’s difficult to capture in a picture! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e3724371-bd5f-4f14-8c5c-393b1af53c9e/IMG_3287.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The Shunkoden: this building was constructed in 1915 to house the sacred mirror, one of the fabled three treasures of ancient Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2f3f160b-73ad-4f08-8129-68227a53762e/IMG_3297.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The first of two imperial gardens, though they are adjoined. The care on exhibit here just took things to a whole new level…and we didn’t want to leave! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/83df7141-11f0-4c46-b713-878aa01360c5/IMG_3305.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/207bd1c0-2eb5-4f52-8bbb-913585a7d0ee/IMG_3318.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/54b40676-e15a-41eb-a820-f690fd66a68e/IMG_3314.JPG Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a78d74dd-e174-4f74-add6-077471a29599/IMG_3308.JPG Japan - Make it stand out The buildings immediately facing the gardens were for the imperial family’s women and children. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/89ee69a1-4707-4b47-9e03-d613edc57498/IMG_3309.JPG Japan - Make it stand out A close-up here shows the inner construction of the palace buildings, with an outer and inner walk-way clearly visible under a fairly ornate wooden roof structure. Oh…and it started to rain almost as soon as we exited the palace! https://www.mghaynes.net/marketing daily 0.75 2026-07-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1713086252825-UQ4R2BMYXXHKK7ABABO6/QFICYB_Cover+Reveal+Ad_v2.0_13APR24.jpg Marketing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1733439959189-E9QDM1DAZWNCAE7FJ7HQ/MWCC_Issue15_Cover.jpg Marketing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1573893396583-BR5L6PAEBCQFRXNDTPH9/QFulviusDOD+Book+Cover_front_008jpg_augustus.jpg Marketing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1595760189051-KPWMUSVRZDF70ZR8WQNO/Persian+Blood+Book+Cover+Front_8j.jpg Marketing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1608378120770-HCRNRPBBAVVLIMWQIFE6/Christmas+Advert_2020.jpg Marketing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/42827bb6-b153-4408-9893-3c546a89e07a/MHQ+Cover_Autumn23.jpg Marketing - 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Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mghaynes.net/photo-galleries-1 daily 0.75 2026-06-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c94be63a-e8f8-4f90-9e8e-eb21dc6e73e4/20250819_092105.jpg Photo Galleries https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1571561425454-GW1WGY6ZPMUH1CZSK67Z/DSC03368.JPG Photo Galleries https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1571561558621-CLLUESSBGSLHBMSCQUMO/IMG_0467.JPG Photo Galleries https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1571561706568-937G7Y49T5NTWHBRKXE5/DSC00603.jpg Photo Galleries https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1571561815285-CWW020WG5KUFNFFALV7G/IMG_0032.JPG Photo Galleries https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1571562046048-P8ARXCU4JS1WC0LS4PDJ/IMG_7166.JPG Photo Galleries https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8537d2e6-a0a4-4509-9b8b-e31f48807dd8/IMG_2790.png Photo Galleries https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/987fc0d3-6dda-4c68-a016-53ba3a54fd95/IMG_1386.png Photo Galleries https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1bd41348-899b-4ae8-9600-42cf611e41a9/DSC_3917.png Photo Galleries - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mghaynes.net/india-folder daily 0.75 2026-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9974ecf2-6435-4056-bbaf-d755d3b91e17/DSC_3991.png India Folder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1695be8d-d619-41d4-af47-89d043cda3f1/DSC_3941.png India Folder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/df21d92e-35b8-49e0-8e17-1f011c652e6d/DSC_4157.png India Folder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/571b2ef1-7537-4568-9ae9-786b2fc912f8/DSC_4002.png India Folder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/54a810de-24bc-4fb5-8ec2-80c4b61c0e24/DSC_3635.png India Folder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/24fc9938-be9d-4400-a107-63edac4da295/DSC_3896.png India Folder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e6108a08-08ed-4ff9-9eca-a835447cfb95/DSC_3741.png India Folder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/09ff3e08-7fe8-4e0c-8008-da507525c16b/e38320fa-47ba-4f19-80f0-52114a5bdfc5.png India Folder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1e9ff25d-6d74-4a28-9ea2-646d26f9bfe3/DSC_3905.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/498fc284-5732-494a-8cb1-ccc0d3a40708/DSC_3904.png India Folder - Make it stand out The massive gate to the Taj Mahal gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3b8818a8-61ff-49c8-9975-6e181a864d34/DSC_3907.png India Folder - Make it stand out First real view of the Taj Mahal—uninterrupted by the seemingly millions of visitors trying to get a shot of it framed within the gateway arch—is already breathtaking. The gardens, laid out in standard Persian quartered layout, seem to amplify the beauty and symmetry of the construction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3bfed2bf-3619-4441-a1a8-7ba32fdc49db/DSC_3926.png India Folder - Make it stand out Looking back toward the main gate…the sun was unhelpful at this point, but I got the best shot I could! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f3788e6b-968a-4696-b1bf-1ca2499173e3/DSC_3961.png India Folder - Make it stand out The Mughals were Muslim and so every tomb we visited was accompanied by a mosque. This is the Taj Mahal Mosque, positioned to the west of the central mausoleum. An identical building was constructed to the east—at an identical distance and orientation—to continue the symmetry so important to them at the time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6ce61ffa-a189-4b6d-bca1-fd2dd4af3f31/DSC_3942.png India Folder - Make it stand out It’s difficult to make out, but across the holy Yamuna River there used to be a continuation of the Taj Mahal gardens, intended for the lower classes to be able to view the structure as well as those allowed in the main garden. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a364e6c1-b340-4941-9cc4-6fdeacdc1400/DSC_3964.png India Folder - Make it stand out Throughout our short visit to India I have to say how much I love the Indo-Persian architecture from the Mughal period. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3fed1de9-2d2b-4ac1-b1e9-77296e29613e/DSC_3952.png India Folder - Make it stand out One of Taj Mahal’s iconic minarets. Each is slightly canted to provide the illusion—from the front—of being parallel. Turns out there are lots of these optical illusions built into the Taj Mahal, all of which were intended to make the mausoleum more visually appealing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/118993b4-7d98-49ea-b58e-abf5f18353d0/DSC_3953.png India Folder - Make it stand out Looking west along the Yamuna River you can make out Agra Fort in the distance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/503c1c0f-088b-41a4-aa24-edf49a025461/DSC_3965.png India Folder - Make it stand out A view east along the Yamuna. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/47b45ba6-ce38-4df7-9062-295f23f5df86/DSC_3969.png India Folder - Make it stand out The one word that comes to mind when viewing Mughal burial monuments is “massive”. Pictures from a distance don’t do justice to just how large and imposing these structures really are. And most—like the Taj Mahal—were constructed nearly 400 years ago! You’re not allowed to take pictures within the mausoleum, but I assure you, the inner trappings and symmetry are just as spectacular surrounding Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1218d272-debb-427c-b47a-be576c22387c/DSC_3987.png India Folder - Make it stand out Another view through the trees in the garden. A long ride from New Delhi, it was so worth the trip! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/53a65821-f71a-4212-ba41-88a6e37a3799/DSC_3989.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5cf8ad55-9e4e-41b2-82a2-243a0d75a63e/DSC_3917.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e8f169e1-6adc-4449-b7ea-d97c3fd5253b/DSC_4005.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3abc7d0a-74e1-4a37-aa60-898c10957a1b/DSC_3604.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b26332ec-7b3d-4a5d-a38d-c622e64f8907/DSC_4220.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d7c99f50-aab2-4c5a-aaaf-c8da38b9235a/20260305_120226.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c6f5185d-f928-41f2-9a21-13e04ed19d08/DSC_3700.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/67606d4e-4fdc-41c7-9fcf-af74be2da1f2/DSC_4093.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bdbf2fff-67c6-4c79-bc26-40a5aa663a04/DSC_3800.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dc8cc96e-36b7-4ae1-b8c1-cb357ccf9e7a/DSC_3658.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a7d8a997-c91c-48f3-bd77-aa9ccd7f5c15/DSC_3664.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e3ad6d37-6979-470f-9346-76df9c4eee98/DSC_4220.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a59f9fea-8087-4df4-97ba-bcf1e60492ce/DSC_4151.png India Folder - Make it stand out The minaret towers over the entire site (if you’ll forgive the pun) and is a truly massive structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b9ec2832-3a9e-4e89-b447-57d4405e53be/DSC_4156.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5d480d19-6747-42b3-86bb-018d17e90607/DSC_4193.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d20baab2-6566-462b-b347-e76e61ba1b20/DSC_4181.png India Folder - Make it stand out The Alai Darwaza was built in 1311 and functioned as the southern gateway to the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque. Since construction at and around Qutb Minar took place over a couple centuries, the differences in architectural styles at what remains of the mosque show the shift from Turkic influence to Persian. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/be2d8a1b-52d0-49f9-95d5-10395e825351/DSC_4142.png India Folder - Make it stand out The tomb of Imam Zamin, on the grounds of the Alai Darwaza. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/14d20b90-00dc-4b27-acc9-b611719722e3/DSC_4176.png India Folder - Make it stand out Both surviving and ruined sections of the compound add to the “old” feel of this site, providing a wonderful constrast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/90c652ac-70db-4a8f-a970-3f97939d819e/DSC_4145.png India Folder - Make it stand out This interesting piece, standing alone in a corner of the UNESCO grounds was constructed during the British Raj. Apparently British Army Major Robert Smith, ordered to make repairs to Qutb Minar following an earthquake in 1828, felt he could improve upon the medieval architecture by adding this cupola to the very top. As is often the case, the major’s overzealous act was overturned in 1848 by a senior British official who found the addition in poor taste. The cupola—from which some of the most iconic pictures of Qutab Minar can now be taken—has since become known as “Smith’s Folly”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e09eb550-3405-40d6-90c0-b0bc9bb0bbf0/DSC_4202.png India Folder - Make it stand out The ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque complex remain impressive. This is what survives of Sultan Alauddin Khilji’s (1296-1316) Tomb and the madrasa built on the site in 1315. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/72c0d89a-011b-4228-b914-9cd6a7997dd4/DSC_4205.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7c694ede-f5eb-4af0-8b8a-b1061ed1cda5/DSC_4207.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/73843890-9151-4966-b83b-5c977a5a9441/DSC_4224.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d804ce68-f783-43a1-82bb-94d29e9b96c4/DSC_4229.png India Folder - Make it stand out Tomb of Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish (1211-1236) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d24433b5-685b-4224-9089-4469e559ebba/20260303_142954.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/bf9ec101-8c18-413b-ae8b-8b071f93e986/DSC_4237.png India Folder - Make it stand out Sultan Alauddin Kihlji intended the Alai Minar to be a second tower, incredibly twice the size of the Qutb Minar. Construction had only reached the first story—a still impressive 27 meters high—when the sultan died in 1316 and the project was abandoned. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6b7b6358-f273-4580-bfe7-4a54bd303f46/DSC_4248.png India Folder - Make it stand out A look at the pillars salvaged from the ancient Hindu temple that stood on the site before being cleared away to construct the minaret and associated mosque. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a29bb3a1-9e35-402a-9388-d32da3e6fd07/DSC_4226.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/abb6a90c-86b7-440e-bd90-50d7cecca049/DSC_4246.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a16310d4-8210-4bc1-bdc5-1a8152d6aaf2/DSC_4250.png India Folder - Make it stand out The “Iron Pillar of Delhi” is thought to have been installed on these grounds in the 11th Century though its origin is suspected to be sometime during the 4th Century AD. The iron is infused with other elements which have prevented rust, keeping it intact for over a millennium. The inscriptions on the 6-ton iron pillar are in ancient sanskrit and sing the praises of an ancient king, Chandragupta II (375-415 AD). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/11b2e377-9e7c-4073-97f1-f08a4cddfb67/20260303_135314.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The wonderfully framed view of Qutb Minar taken from within “Smith’s Folly”. Which just goes to show that even when a staff officer’s work is not appreciated . . . it can still hold value! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/08470447-d349-4b01-aeb3-b58eddb4d1d0/DSC_4159.png India Folder - Make it stand out A deeply historic site I’d never heard of before arriving India, our visit to New Delhi’s Qutb Minar was one of our most memorable and a highly recommended destination! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5e1ad0c4-7729-4ba2-8192-e83041bd5321/DSC_4002.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c9fa7ce8-bdc2-4508-8d9b-6a995ea3b62f/DSC_4005.png India Folder - Make it stand out The main gate to Agra Fort can only be accessed by crossing the deep moat. The facade of this fortress is, if nothing else, imposing! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/eadc171e-49cc-4d04-9aa3-52ebbbeb657d/DSC_4000.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9e27eb38-5c19-48d8-8a79-c75b4226efee/AgraFort%28mod%2902.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The second gate of Agra Fort highlights its Mughal heritage. The bricked-in gateway portion pictured here hints at the original size of this already massive portal, built to facilitate the entrance of war elephants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/53f9ffcf-962f-46b4-90d8-a4dcf0a89d93/20260302_134349.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out My favorite feature of Agra Fort is situated between the second and third gates. The spouts protruding from high on the walls here allowed oil to be poured on attackers. The decline facilitated the employment of burning objects being rolled down upon them, leaving nowhere to run. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0db0df5b-d8f6-47ea-a7d3-265952fbe7cf/DSC_4018.png India Folder - Make it stand out Massive entrance to the Jahangiri Mahal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/284d4514-ae53-43d5-9a56-a0dfddacd56a/DSC_4017.png India Folder - Make it stand out Lying between the second and third gates is the impressive Jahangiri Mahal, a separate palace accommodating the women of the court, built originally for Mughal Emperor Akbar’s non-Muslim wives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/293fb340-1308-4293-b9a6-0a6ffa791984/DSC_4033.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ad07b14c-95ca-4395-ad99-41ec373dc99c/20260302_140045.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Ever wondered what the inside of a Mughal harem looked like? These pics depict the inner sanctum of the Jahangiri Mahal. The water draining into the reservoir here was runoff from that flushed between the walls of the main building, keeping the rooms cool during the summer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5442e002-949b-4520-8452-ec8cc565b328/DSC_4047.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/52fac508-582e-4b0d-bde3-3dbde2b39d2c/DSC_4040.png India Folder - Make it stand out The inner courtyards of the palace are expansive and quartered in the Persian style. This is the Garden of Grapes and was once filled with grapevines and flowering plants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b4de4321-e1a9-49ae-b587-24b29e927ccb/DSC_4037.png India Folder - Make it stand out Inside the palace area, red stone gives way to marble, gold, and semi-precious stones…everywhere! This is the Roshanara Pavilion, constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan for his third daughter, the Princess Roshanara Begum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cda0cfba-4df0-40af-b2c1-d183c57decc2/DSC_4029.png India Folder - Make it stand out The Roshanara Pavilion offers an incredible view of the Taj Mahal, the loving memorial built for her mother, Mumtaz Mahal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/606ef8f5-3f40-4869-bea5-ae573b08c2d3/20260302_141446.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Inside the Khas Mahal, or private palace, the marble work, highlighted by inlaid semi-precious stones created an opulent escape from the realities of ruling an empire for multiple Mughal emperors. Shah Jahan reportedly spent much of his time while under house arrest here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8eb9a0af-eae1-4e44-b927-f5192c112d77/DSC_4060.png India Folder - Make it stand out Looking out over the Khas Mahal toward the Taj Mahal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3653da22-dc44-4429-87ed-e5147909e961/DSC_4066.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/908f0c4c-e959-4eb4-8fc7-8570e341eb92/DSC_4069.png India Folder - Make it stand out This is where the Mughal emperor met his subjects. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3edf8e19-689f-4869-b356-2133e9564461/DSC_4071.png India Folder - Make it stand out The audience hall is quite large and constructed in the beautiful Persian style with repeating, identical arches carried throughout. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7c23432e-e0a7-4a09-af9b-39f71666f12b/DSC_4082.png India Folder - Make it stand out The audience hall from a distance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1191070b-38ea-436f-ab50-6fc1361fd957/AgraFort%28mod%2903.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Apologies for the blurred faces, but Agra Fort is a very popular tourist destination and it was difficult at times to get good photos without some collateral photo-bombing. This was the best I could find from inside the Amar Singh Gate, an area reserved for use only by the Mughal emperor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/07647e51-f9b8-4132-9117-7407a41f910e/DSC_4076.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/079eefe2-1d2b-4236-9fca-dafe20ba077a/20260302_132933.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out An incredible destination in and of itself, Agra Fort’s close proximity to the Taj Mahal makes it a no-brainer for anyone visiting the historic city of Agra! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e6781a72-6f71-48d6-a127-94b7402b81ab/DSC_3635.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/be0606e1-0032-4821-b9fe-2f34e3293bcf/DSC_3558.png India Folder - Make it stand out Along the walkway to Humayun’s tomb you pass another medieval tomb site, that of Isa Khan Niazi (1453-1548), of the short-lived Sur Empire (1538-45). Essentially placing the Mughal invasion on hold and forcing Humayun to flee to Persia, the Sur Empire took control over the Delhi Sultanate until Humayun returned with a vengeance in 1554, securing Mughal rule until 1857. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b6444f77-305b-4cb2-8d35-6c032b2b1e0f/DSC_3574.png India Folder - Make it stand out The mosque associated with Isa Khan Niazi’s tomb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/27bec2c7-6f5e-4b4a-998a-0c96c8f84d49/DSC_3584.png India Folder - Make it stand out The main gate leading into Humayun’s tomb complex. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/28ca6e15-fc2f-4ddc-9271-8f6ffcf04e19/DSC_3631.png India Folder - Make it stand out Humayun’s tomb as viewed across one of the less crowded approaches. It is a popular tourist destination, and with good reason, but this side pic turned out so much better than those I was able to get from the front! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/65d6ff9c-62e0-4b82-87aa-bd6c4b0cd498/DSC_3609.png India Folder - Make it stand out A look back across some of the garden from the upper deck of Humayun’s Tomb. The building in the distance is the main gate through which we entered. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d0c7104d-a61b-4868-bd6f-1b7400cd1b64/DSC_3621.png India Folder - Make it stand out Trying to adequately capture the incredible mass of this monument is difficult, but this picture, I think, provides a small taste. It is absolutely huge! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/241c39a5-9b6f-48a4-b142-2e55eeedb3f2/20260228_121849.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The window coverings—screens, for lack of a better descriptor—are ornate and elaborate throughout. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/58014e03-73cc-41ca-a981-db43212a9870/20260228_121505.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Humayun’s actual mausoleum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/73a4adc6-a773-4005-b41b-4d9ae8397485/20260228_121729.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/dd65d2fd-06bc-4af1-ba9e-5a42c30f1ea6/DSC_3614.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3dc72347-0417-4a85-858f-f153a23c6a14/DSC_3640.png India Folder - Make it stand out This, believe it or not, is the tomb of Humayun’s royal barber, Nai Kam Gumbad, dated to 1590. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/31a3e701-35d2-49a4-9f63-20e763a19845/DSC_3652.png India Folder - Make it stand out One of the best views of Humayun’s Tomb turned out to be from the stone pedestal upon which the barber’s tomb was constructed. Note the symmetry and how well the barber’s tomb lines up with Humayun’s. This attention to symmetry and spacial location of elements within the gardens would have made my high school geometry teacher proud, but was, apparently, a very important element to Mughal era construction. Shows up in its most developed form at the Taj Mahal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/95535a4d-37be-4628-adf8-e4deca2d9086/DSC_3654.png India Folder - Make it stand out One final look back at an incredible site! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/891c3fba-974f-4383-9a70-70165cfef15c/DSC_3895.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a239f611-d3a4-44f5-b3f8-c2ed00fce840/DSC_3800.png India Folder - Make it stand out The main gate to Old Fort is as massive and imposing as any Mughal structure though it must be pointed out, this fortress was constructed early in that empire and so lacks the over-the-top intimidation value found at places like Agra Fort or Red Fort. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/5a82464a-af8b-4b4e-a4dc-a59517acf678/DSC_3805.png India Folder - Make it stand out Looking back at the main gate from inside. Oddly enough, we arrived at Old Fort while the medieval structure was hosting Delhi’s annual Sanatan music festival. Upon first glance we all saw the sign and misread it in the same way . . . amazed at our luck in arriving in time for a Santana Concert! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/565b312e-8402-4828-b153-79d48afbd423/DSC_3810.png India Folder - Make it stand out The northern gate or Talaaqi Darwaza, another beautifully rendered portal featuring multi-level entry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/54b44c44-318a-4e50-afd2-d480d153f38e/DSC_3814.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/16fc175e-ce22-46d6-a038-502443617412/DSC_3825.png India Folder - Make it stand out Old Fort is an honest to goodness ruin as it seems only certain sections have seen significant reconstruction. This has no doubt contributed to the sense of its age and helped ensure the name stuck well into the 21st Century. I found the ruined sections every bit as beautiful as the restored ones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2f2dbc5e-ad66-43d2-87ce-ce25e5303700/DSC_3822.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/56a09349-ec9b-4867-a7d0-451f3c7225c8/DSC_3828.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ea5241c8-d0a6-4824-a1dd-4c7b0f38d3ba/DSC_3834.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0aaf69f1-d8ed-4a47-86eb-9297586ce572/DSC_3840.png India Folder - Make it stand out This is one of the passageways within the outer wall of Old Fort. The walls are quite thick on their exterior face, unsurprising given the Mughal’s appreciation for and even dependence upon gunpowder artillery. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6c0b4b12-fdc3-40d1-8f32-bbb1a6c0e841/DSC_3842.JPG India Folder - Make it stand out Qila-e-Kuhna Masjid (Mosque) as seen from the end of the passageway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e2334cc2-a6e9-47b8-b68c-e1f310666ad0/DSC_3843.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ea2e7c14-31dc-4d20-9c3b-75fb1df311d4/DSC_3846.png India Folder - Make it stand out The facade of Qila-e-Kuhna Masjid. There’s a reason why I couldn’t get far enough away to fit the whole edifice into the picture . . . but I can no longer remember why. (Apologies!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/30059ea2-534b-4f8b-9ee5-990c7032e684/DSC_3807.png India Folder - Make it stand out I haven’t mentioned this, but the interior grounds at Old Fort have been beautifully managed, the blooms providing a touch of color that nicely off-set the gray and sandstone coloration of the fortress itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/65bb6135-21ac-406b-ba3f-bb2220da2604/DSC_3857.png India Folder - Make it stand out This was the personal library of Mughal Emperor Humayun. In 1556 he was descending the stairs of this library, his arms full of books, when he heard the call to prayer. Hastening down the stairs his foot caught in his robe and he tripped, striking his temple upon the unforgiving stone. Humayun died three days later. An ignominious end to an accomplished medieval warrior, Humayun’s story provides a cautionary tale for all you readers out there who find yourselves completely engrossed by the written word. Please . . . watch your step! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0365c895-bf48-4995-b8fd-397d54dfa14d/DSC_3863.png India Folder - Make it stand out A single, wide avenue runs the length of the fortress from the north gate to the one in the south. This view looks north from Humayun’s Gate and you can see the turrets of Talaaqi Darwaza in the background behind the Indian national flag. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/2f26a468-1907-4a02-bb57-b62c18f6e6a8/DSC_3870.png India Folder - Make it stand out The south gate is called Humayun’s Gate and lies in much disrepair though its grandeur can still be easily imagined by what remains. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8c436667-9bbb-49e7-b61a-8365054e275d/DSC_3881.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/48731018-c2ac-4416-96c8-2e4e6677d8d2/DSC_3887.png India Folder - Make it stand out The western wall of Old Fort is protected by a moat and slope, providing a most picturesque view of the beautiful fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/39fd04a2-a4ca-450c-99c1-a3ce8136dd39/DSC_3896.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/43f527b3-943f-4a30-b0f2-4f0c0121f2f1/DSC_3775.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/440062b7-841c-4bb6-9f2a-c7db946cde95/DSC_3700.png India Folder - Make it stand out The miniature fortress guarding the tomb of Sikander Lodi (1489-1517) typifies military architecture of the period. So very different from the castles of Europe, the elegant walls of China or Korea, or the tiered bastions of Japan, the style is unique to the region and I found each, in turn, quite beautiful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/fd1fb679-e54e-4fb2-a2a5-f9a71799ccb4/DSC_3726.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/af36def5-e224-43b5-9ff6-75cdf53f630e/DSC_3710.png India Folder - Make it stand out The inner gate leading to Sikander Lodi’s tomb remains intact, though with some modern preservation work done to maintain structural integrity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8b99dc4e-2836-4511-9018-547d3c7909c6/DSC_3698.png India Folder - Make it stand out The outer gate is a partial ruin, but enough elements—like this turret—remained to offer a glimpse into the tomb’s original grandeur. Fitting for the tomb of a sultan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/71da73ba-7813-4c7d-b5e5-b7ac4c48d016/DSC_3724.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b0ae129c-9c83-4e3f-917f-f1d5e595d16d/DSC_3735.png India Folder - Make it stand out Athpula Bridge: A watercourse runs through much of the garden and was thought to have originally emptied into the Yamuna River. This bridge was constructed during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th Century. The span not only still stands, it continues to be the primary northern entrance to Lodi Gardens, bearing the weight of thousands of visitors each and every day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3e9cb226-b124-4511-8dba-266eeff9dae0/DSC_3737.png India Folder - Make it stand out A view through the trees of Sheesh Gumbad, tomb of several as yet unidentified Lodi royal family members. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/721fdbd1-293e-4a55-a19a-2e179af71236/DSC_3744.png India Folder - Make it stand out The mausoleum is currently undergoing restoration work but remains an impressive, pre-Mughal construct in the center of Lodi Gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cc60ffb8-1266-490a-bba0-75b63c1a6dbe/DSC_3755.png India Folder - Make it stand out Across from Sheesh Gumbad is the larger Bada Gumbad and its attached mosque. The sun was shining brightly that morning, making it difficult to get certain shots, but this was the best I could do from the front. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/cba74a2e-dd52-4243-be09-caa2be8c400d/DSC_3745.png India Folder - Make it stand out Side view of Bada Gumbad. The large building was intended to be an elaborate gateway to the attached mosque. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/30e989a2-1b91-4c33-b27d-98f346a72dc9/20260301_110305.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The artwork within the medieval mosque is quite intricate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/db0f36fa-b0d5-46e1-bc78-5d44e8b1da34/20260301_110435.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out View of the mosque attached to Bada Gumbad. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1153b72e-3a17-4284-aab2-d592d41b332a/20260301_110259.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The ceiling decoration no less impressive! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d6164d2a-0c19-404c-bae9-4e5fdeed4205/DSC_3776.png India Folder - Make it stand out Bada Gumbad from the south end of the central open area of Lodi Gardens. If you’ve noticed the birds circling in nearly every photo we took in Delhi, they’re Kites, a gorgeous bird of prey that seemed to be everywhere overhead! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/23cf0b53-e56c-432a-be89-e60f7ce3b08d/DSC_3779.png India Folder - Make it stand out The ruins in Lodi Gardens are far enough away from one another and interspersed with so much thick foliage, you get the impression at times of tromping through the jungle and happening upon these medieval structures. This was our first view of Muhammad Shah IV’s (1434-1443) tomb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/4b98417c-1857-419b-b10d-d95d7fa10f90/DSC_3783.png India Folder - Make it stand out Muhammad Shah’s tomb bears a striking resemblance to that of Isa Khan Niyazi, just outside of Humayun’s Tomb, providing further evidence of pre-Mughal, Indo-Islamic architecture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7612b7e4-c11f-4cb8-8f29-b60a20b04a3b/20260301_113625.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The second to last sultan of the Sayyid Dynasty, Muhammad Shah’s tomb grandly preserves his memory and remains a picturesque reminder of Delhi’s long and interesting history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/e7407d8d-2015-4c6d-a53d-f74bc77606c0/20260305_120811.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7757483e-ffe1-4ce2-b57e-b1f72658fe20/20260305_120226.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The incredible curb appeal of Delhi’s Red Fort makes it one of the most visited of tourist destinations in the city. This is Lahore Gate and is the single most recognizable view of Red Fort. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/a69c4e32-64fc-4db1-9284-cfded979b17a/DSC_4264.png India Folder - Make it stand out The walls of Red Fort are beautiful examples of Mughal fortification. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0ee14793-44c2-41fb-9bf2-87cd7848a4c7/20260305_101220.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Passing through the Lahore Gate complex the usual imposing edifices greet any visitor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/d6448d4f-c29a-41c0-8cf2-45e9c64c5a68/20260305_115351.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Just inside Lahore Gate, however, we were surprised to find an indoor bazaar—called Chhatta Chowk—with a lineage stretching back to the Mughal era. If looking for souvenirs, this is a good spot as access is limited by the entrance fee to get into the fortress making it much less crowded than other markets we encountered. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/230a97cb-b57a-42e3-869e-2e7670a7a390/DSC_4271.png India Folder - Make it stand out The Naubat Khana served as the waiting hall where music was played for guests and supplicants of the Mughal emperor. At least two emperors are thought to have been assassinated here, Jahandar Shah (1712–1713) and Farrukhsiyar (1713–1719). Interestingly, the facade facing Lahore Gate is done in white marble while the side facing the palace and reception hall are done in red stone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7daf38a5-7aff-47f6-a092-5fb425cb5d8a/DSC_4278.png India Folder - Make it stand out The other side of the Naubat Khana and surrounding grounds. This walkway leads to the reception hall or Diwan-i-Aam. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/629b8082-cd64-48a2-95e8-d46be2323627/20260305_103642.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Naubat Khana framed by the portico of the Diwan-i-Aam. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/640f847f-d3db-4d10-b60a-3a44e9604313/DSC_4282.png India Folder - Make it stand out The reception hall is reminiscent of the one inside Agra Fort and would have been designed to impress upon visitors the power and wealth of the Mughal emperor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/1c84740d-7d47-4e9f-9d6e-2fdc55c58f9c/DSC_4279.png India Folder - Make it stand out The emperor’s would have met subjects and envoys from this carved, marble perch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7b917dd8-1624-412b-8e69-ef36851942c1/DSC_4284.png India Folder - Make it stand out Most of the palace buildings were destroyed during the period of British rule though restoration efforts for the remaining structures have successfully provided a peek into Mughal royal life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/115c5472-7532-4507-810a-6fb4ecffe739/DSC_4287.png India Folder - Make it stand out The Diwan-i-Khaas was the emperor’s private audience hall and is rendered as at Agra Fort with white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/53a84fb6-d950-4305-9970-6679ccf74c71/20260305_104731.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The scars left by the burning of the private audience hall are still visible in the ceiling, but the grandeur of Mughal imperial furnishings remain impressive still today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f933942e-6dd7-437d-864d-b1acd18440a5/DSC_4309.png India Folder - Make it stand out The massive garden complex centers on a large pond fed by smaller ponds radiating outward from it. In the center of what would have been a lush, imperial paradise, was the Hayat Bakhsh Bagh, an island pleasure pavilion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/04248a61-7880-40a6-a677-8840cbdb9b0a/DSC_4322.png India Folder - Make it stand out Another view of the Hayat Bakhsh Bagh highlighting the retaining walls for the artificial pond within which the pavilion sat. Access to the pavilion was apparently by a temporary causeway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/49129359-113f-4057-b1e3-5bfc1af50f6e/20260305_111641.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The stepwell at Red Fort predates the fortification and is unique in that it has two stepped points of entry that meet at the bottom. The stepwell’s origin continues to be debated but is thought to have been constructed in the early to mid-14th Century, during the Tughlaq Dyanasty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/7c055d9d-8369-4e30-aeac-8b84434f4ede/DSC_4334.png India Folder - Make it stand out A shot of the inner defensive works at Red Fort. Note the odd step arrangement leading up the ramp. This facilitated men pushing cannon up onto the parapet. Those Empire: Total War fans out there should recognize the feature! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/907fd694-6405-46b7-a30c-236d6d7a61ee/DSC_4354.png India Folder - Make it stand out This wall section caught my attention . . . not sure why! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/3bd1b8bf-217e-4b46-9d6c-2fccc95b59df/DSC_4358.png India Folder - Make it stand out The Hayat Bakhsh Bagh as viewed between a pair of British barracks. Those Victorian Era constructions reminded me so much of the older cadet barracks at West Point… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6ad38e27-1978-436d-a6de-c4b2fad70891/DSC_4380.png India Folder - Make it stand out As with other Mughal fortresses, the external walls of Red Fort are surrounded by a fairly deep moat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b02d6c76-5700-4df1-a952-7cb0c115f7d9/e38320fa-47ba-4f19-80f0-52114a5bdfc5.png India Folder - Make it stand out One last, parting shot of Lahore Gate from a sexier angle (and with better light). All-in-all, a highly recommended destination in Delhi! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/c93ba476-7dd6-4844-bab7-2b7f02ceb2b9/DSC_4096.JPG India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6aaf5cff-68bc-4fa7-8cbb-c856d7765396/DSC_4091.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/ecd79a7d-9ea4-4efa-ba7a-f1ec156a5838/DSC_4106.png India Folder - Make it stand out The accompanying mosque at Safdar Jang’s tomb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/8d71f750-b74e-4421-81ba-8f4d80e19d1f/DSC_4102.png India Folder - Make it stand out View from the tomb back toward the entryway. The grounds between the two are beautifully maintained. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/edb8beb3-8cbf-4295-8fe3-53eb4ffc43f6/20260303_113417.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Love the arches that are, literally, EVERYWHERE in Mughal architecture! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/b5190744-a914-4743-afae-67739e4496ba/20260303_114627.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The inner sanctum of the mausoleum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/0e30fc98-ca3b-47fc-a5b2-8549392de691/20260303_114529.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/664658d7-0612-4917-8acb-0ddd7ec6c9f3/20260303_121054.jpg India Folder - Make it stand out The exterior of the main entrance is fairly nondescript. In fact we’d passed by it several times without realizing there was history behind it! Glad we found the time to check it out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/af6cffb8-c677-4282-803c-5b6330d14afb/DSC_4093.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/15401bad-d698-4570-8b9a-3652d6582230/DSC_3658.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/80e8029a-54ed-4d49-bfe3-a753c2af3584/DSC_3661.png India Folder - Make it stand out The ruins of a small, Persian-style mosque remains attached to the stepwell, a later addition to the site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/9583637b-389f-454c-bd2f-280f26d04fec/DSC_3657.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6181d9c9-80aa-4d99-b988-2e298eea2c9a/DSC_3680.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/01b9f07c-3e77-407d-bc83-8a9b1f65dd50/DSC_3667.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/6467f6d1-24d9-489a-aa01-35854ac059a8/DSC_3668.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5952617415d5db6582ee2dbf/f076c899-3dbf-4048-a2a0-15de7ed0a85a/DSC_3683.png India Folder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.