동북아역사재단 2022년 04월호 뉴스레터
- Ki Gyeong-ryang, Professor, Department of Korean History, Catholic University of Korea
Goguryeo was founded in Jolbon, which is now in the Hwanin region of Liaoning Province, and moved the capital to Gungnae, which is today's Jian, Jilin Province, at one point. According to 『The History of Three States』, there was an incident in the 21st year during the reign of King Yuri (2 AD) where a pig to be sacrificed at the ancestral rite ran away. A vassal, pursuing the pig, reached a place called ‘Gungnae Winaam’ and reported to King Yuri about the excellent topography and abundant produce. It is said that the king moved the capital from Jolbon to Gungnae and built Winaam Fortress in the following year in the 22nd year during the reign of King Yuri (3 AD).
There is controversy as to whether this record in 『The History of Three States』 can be trusted, but it is clear that the Jian region functioned as a royal capital during the Goguryeo period until they moved the capital again to Pyongyang in 427.
Hwandoseong Fortress, a Royal Fortress Stained with the Pain of War
There are ruins of two royal fortresses in the Jian area. One is Sanseongja Fortress, located in a mountainous area, and the other is Jian Flatland Fortress, in the city center of Jian. It is common to see the former as Hwandoseong Fortress, which can be found in historical records, and the latter, as Gungnaeseong Fortress.
Sanseongja Fortress is a fortress that embraces a valley. The east, north, and west sides are surrounded by high peaks, and the fortress walls were built on the ridges. The total length of the wall is 6,947 m. There are seven gates, one in the west and two in the east, south, and north. The main gate is built in the south, where the ground is low, and the front is open, and the Tongou River runs in front of it.
A palace site was excavated in the early 2000s inside the Sanseongja Fortress. It is 95.5m from north to south and 86.5m from east to west, and a layer of Goguryeo culture, with many roof tiles and roof-end tiles, was also found. The two octagonal building sites located within the palace site are unique in shape. Some speculate their functions as government buildings or shrines for the progenitor.
Hwandoseong Fortress is the royal fortress of Goguryeo, whose name is found in Chinese records from early periods. The ones drawing particular attention are records related to the war. According to 『The Romance of the Three Kingdoms』, the Wei general Guanqiu Jian invaded Goguryeo in 244. This took place during the reign of King Dongcheon of Goguryeo. King Dongcheon led his army out to intercept the army of Guanqiu Jian, but was ultimately defeated. It is said that Guanqiu Jian pursued the fleeing King Dongcheon and arrived at the royal capital of Goguryeo and went to Hwandoseong Fortress to slaughter those who were in the capital of Goguryeo.
About 100 years later, in 342, the army of Former Yan, founded by the Murong family of the Xianbei people, invaded Goguryeo and captured Hwandoseong Fortress. At this time, King Gogukwon, the monarch of Goguryeo, managed to escape, but the army of Former Yan took the king's mother and wife captive, robbed the tomb of his father, King Micheon, took the body, burned the palace, demolished Hwandoseong Fortress, and withdrew after capturing more than 50,000 men and women prisoners of war. As described, Hwandoseong Fortress is a place that has many painful memories of Goguryeo during the country's growth period.
Gungnaeseong Fortress - Center of Goguryeo's Growth and Development
The place accepted as Gungnaeseong Fortress in historical records is a flatland fortress in Jian. This fortress was built by piling up stones in a rectangular shape. It was severely damaged since it is located in the middle of a densely populated city. It is believed that the original size was about 2.7 km in circumference.
There is controversy about when Gungnaeseong Fortress was constructed. The name, ‘Gungaeseong,' first appears in the literature in 342 (the 12th year in the reign of King Gogukwon), where it says, "Hwandoseong Fortress was repaired, and Gungnaeseong Fortress was built." According to this, the time the fortress was initially built was the mid-4th century. However, some scholars believe it to be the beginning of the 4th century or the mid-3rd century based on records that say King Dongcheon left Hwandoseong Fortress, where he experienced trouble after the invasion of Guanqiu Jian, and built 'Pyongyangseong Fortress' and moved people.
Goguryeo developed national strength by using Gungnaeseong Fortress as its capital. The reorganization of the system during King Sosurim's reign and the war of conquest by King Gwanggaeto are events that took place during the period when Gungnaeseong Fortress was the capital. Due to urbanization in modern times, urban districts were developed inside and outside the flatland fortress. It is difficult to identify the overall scale of the Gungnaeseong Fortress at the time of Goguryeo. However, there must be many stories that Goguryeo wants to tell us even now in the underground of the downtown area of Jian. I hope to come across that story someday.
동북아역사재단이 창작한 '집안의 고구려 왕성, 환도성과 국내성' 저작물은 "공공누리" 출처표시-상업적이용금지-변경금지 조건에 따라 이용 할 수 있습니다.
