Naseong City Wall
부여 나성
An 8 km wall raised to protect the Sabi capital. Taking Busosanseong as its centre, it runs east and west along the natural terrain around the outside of the Buyeo townscape. It was built of earth, and only slight traces of it remain today.
Language
Place information
- Korean name
- 부여 나성
- Address
- 565 Yeomchang-ri, Buyeo-eup, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
History
around 538
Raised as the capital moved
It is thought to have been raised around 538, when the capital moved from Ungjin to Sabi. The wall was built of earth, starting from the site of Busosanseong's east gate and running to the bank of the Geum River.
the Three Kingdoms period
Among the oldest naseong
In Korea it is one of the oldest outer city walls, along with the naseong at Pyongyang.
structure
Steep outside, gentle within
The outer face falls away steeply while the inner face is gentle, so there is a way along the top wide enough to ride a horse, with lookout posts at intervals.
inside the wall
What is thought to have stood inside
Inside are thought to have stood the Baekje royal palace along with government offices, houses, temples, shops and defensive works.
the wider system
A second line the land already made
The Geum River runs along the south and west, and a further channel was dug, so the whole reads as a natural double line. Together with Cheongsanseong and Cheongmasanseong it was an outer defence for the protection of the capital.
21 January 1963
Designated a Historic Site
Designated as a Historic Site covering 397,533 square metres.
2015
Inscribed as World Heritage
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the eight sites making up the Baekje Historic Areas.
What to see
Pilseobong
The highest peak the wall crosses. A beacon site where torches were raised, and the remains of a building, survive on it.
A wall built of earth
The rampart was built of earth and only slight traces of it remain today. It measures 8 km around and encircles the outskirts of the Buyeo townscape to the east and the west.
Pilseobong selected
Nearby
Buyeo Royal Tombs
Seven Baekje tombs on the south slope of Neungsan, set in two rows front and back. The ground has long been known as royal tombs, and finds from the temple site west of them reconfirmed it as a royal burial area. UNESCO lists it as the royal tombs in Neungsan-ri; the name the Korea Heritage Service uses today is Buyeo Royal Tombs.
Buyeo National Museum
The national museum for the finds of Sabi-period Baekje, which gives the gilt-bronze incense burner a hall of its own.
Jeongnimsa Temple Site
The site of the principal temple of Sabi-period Baekje. The temple is gone; a five-storey stone pagoda from Baekje and a seated stone Buddha from Goryeo remain, and the north-south axis running from the middle gate past the pagoda and hall to the lecture hall is still legible across the open ground.
Busosanseong Fortress
A mountain fortress wrapping Busosan on the south bank of the Baengma River. It guarded the palace after the court moved to Sabi and defended the capital until Baekje fell. Nakhwaam cliff and Goransa temple stand inside it.
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Where these facts come from
- Korea Heritage Portal — Historic Site: Outer City Wall, Buyeo (designated 21 January 1963, 397,533 m2, 565 Yeomchang-ri, Buyeo-eup; Three Kingdoms period; 8 km in circumference) ·
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Baekje Historic Areas (1477), stated as eight archaeological sites dating from 475 to 660 CE, naming the Naseong city wall among the components related to the Sabi capital, Buyeo ·