KAESONG

Kaesong is in the south of North Korea, not far from the demarcation line with South Korea. It is a modern town with broad avenues. However there also is an old center between the main road and the river, with many traditional buildings. Kaesong is an historical town. It was the capital of Koryo (918-1392) and still has many sights from that period. For that reason Kaesong should not be missed. Kaesong also is the gateway to Panmunjom.

Janam Mountain

Kaesong town is dominated by the 104 meter high Janam Mountain. There is a statue of Kim Il Sung, erected in 1968. From the top you will have a nice view on the city and on Songak Mountain northwest of the city. Around this hill the most important historical buildings of Kaesong are located.

Kwandok Pavilion
Kwangdok Pavilion is on top of Janam Mountain. It was built in 1780 for arching contests. From the pavilion you will look out on a quarter with old houses dating from the Ri Dynasty.

Sungyang Hall
This place dates from the 14th century and used to be the house of the well-known official and Confucian scholar Jong Mong Ju. In 1573 the house was transformed into an academic institution, with buildings for education in the front and sacrificial rites in the rear. A high stone wall encloses it. At the front there are three gates. The Great Hall is situated on a platform. Behind the great Hall there are stairs leading to the Ancestor Shrine.

Sonjuk Bridge

Sonjuk Bridge is located about 1 km east of Nam Gate. The small stone bridge dates from 1216. It is only 7 meters long and 2.5 meters wide.
On this bridge Ri Song Gye, the first king of the Ri Dynasty, in 1392 had his opponent Jong Mong Ju executed. This well-known scholar advocated loyalty to the Koryo Dynasty against the usurpers. Later a bamboo grew up besides the bridge and from that the bridge got his name. In 1780 the bridge was closed for all traffic and since then it is a monument.
At the time Jong Mong Ju held the highest civil post in Koryo. Ri Song Gye tried to win him over to his side, but Jong refused to betray Koryo. After Ri Song Gye was injured after falling from his horse during hunting, Jong tried to have him killed but failed. Later Ri Song Gye invited Jong to his house trying to convince him again to betray his lord. But Jong answered with a poem:
Even if, I may die, die a hundred times,
Even if my skeleton may become dust and dirt,
And whether my spirit may be there or not,
My single-hearted loyalty to the lord will not change.
Then Ri Song Gye realized he could not convince Jong. On the night of April 4, 1392, he sent an assassin to Sonjuk Bridge who brutally killed Jong Mong Ju with an iron hammer. After having get rid of Jong, Ri Song Gye succeeded in usurping the throne in July 1392.

Pyochung Pavilion

Opposite Sonjuk Bridge you will find Pyonchung Pavilion. Inside there are two huge stelea (stone tablets) on the backs of stone turtles. One stele was erected in 1740 by king Yongjo, the other in 1872 by king Kojong. Both commemorate the conviction and execution of Jong Mong Ju and confirm his loyalty to the ruling dynasty, thereby paradoxically confirming the decaying of the Ri Dynasty.

Nam Gate

The South Gate was built between 1391 and 1393, at the same time as the inner citadel of the walled city. The citadel used to have seven gates, but only Nam Gate is left. During the Korea War is was severely damaged and rebuilt in 1954.
On the gate there is a pavilion. Inside is Yonbok Bell. It was cast in 1346, is 3,3 meters high and weighs 14 tuns. The bell originates from Yonbok Temple, which was destroyed by fire in 1563. Until the beginning of the 20th century the bell was used to call the hours and this could be heard until 4 km from the city.

Students and Childrens’ Palace

Just near the South Gate you can find this complex which opened in 1961. All kinds of extra-curricular activities, in the fields of sports and arts, take place here.

Songak Berg

North of Kaesong is Songak Mountain (489 meters).

Manwoldae Palace
Southeast of Songak Mountain is Manwoldae, the place where the royal palace of Koryo was located. Only ruins of the fundaments of the big palace still exist. It was built in 919. It was burnt in the invasion of the Red Kerchieved Rebel Army in 1361.

Chomsongdae Observatory
West of Manwoldae is the observatory which was built at the same time as the palace. There were various, for that period very sophisticated instruments in order to be able to study the stars, the seasons and the weather. Records show it was used intensively from 1024 to 1383.

Anhwa Temple
Anhwa Temple stand on mid-slope of Mt. Songak, 4 km from Nam Gate. It was built in 930. It comprises a Taeung Hall, Myongbu Hall (destroyed by bombs in the Korea War), Obaek Hall, a seven-storyed stone pagoda and living quarters.

Songgyungwan Academy / Koryo Museum

The academy is located just outside, 2 km northeast of the city of Kaesong in a nice green environment with many old trees.
The academy was originally the Taemyon Palace, dating from the beginning of the 11th century. Later is became the royal guesthouse and after that the Bureau for Confucian Doctrine.
In 1089 Kukjagam, the highest educational institute in the country, was allocated the buildings, this being the founding of the academy. It was an educational institute where the candidates could study the Confucian classics in order to succeed in the examinations and to acquire an administrative post. It also was a center of sacrificial rites of Confucianism. In 1310 it was given the name Songgyungwan Academy. After a fire in 1592, during the Imjin War, the academy was rebuilt from 1602. Songgyungwan comprises more than 20 buildings and has the typical features of the Confucian educational institute of that time.
The main buildings are on the north-south central axis. In the front part are the educational buildings with Myongryun Hall at the center. In the rear are the buildings where memorial services were held and rites performed with Taesong Hall at the center.
Inside the walls of Songgyungwan there are two more than 500 years old ginko trees and a more than 900 years old zelkova tree, regarded as natural monuments. The ginko trees have flower bloom in May and fruit ripens in October.
The academy since 1987 houses the Koryo Museum. The museum has a very interesting collection of historical objects, among which statues and porcelain.

• Hall 1. Relics showing the founding and development of Koryo.
• Hall 2. Relics showing the development of publishing; a rare astronomical chart; Korean porcelain.
• Hall 3 and 4. A beatiful iron image of Buddha from the Jokjo Temple; ironwork; bronze; stone objects.

Outside the walls are stone monuments from temples of the Kaesong area: 13 objects, among them very old pagodas.

• Hyonghwa Temple Pagoda. Seven-storeyed pagoda, built in 1020. Originally in the Hyonhwa Temple in Wolgo-ri, Jangphung County.
• Hungguk Temple Pagoda. Originally in front of the Hungguk Temple southeast of Manwoldae, the royal palace of Koryo. Built in 1021 by Kang Gam Chan, a famous patriotic commander. Only three of the original five stories are left.
• Pulil Temple Pagoda. It was built in 951 and used to be in front of Kum Hall of the Pulil Temple. It was moved her in 1960.

Mausoleum of Kongmin

About 13 km from the center Kaesong there are the tombs of king Kongmin and his queen. Kongmin, the 31st king of Koryo, ruled from 1352 until 1374 and died when he was 44 years old. He was skilled in the art of painting and designing. When his wife died in 1365 he began constructing the tombs.
Before each of the two tombs are offering tables. On both sides there are 3.3 meter high statues of high officials and, on the lower terrace, of generals. There are also statues of sheep and tigers and stone blocks shaped as clouds and with the images of the twelve celestial guards. The mausoleum is located in a nice green and hilly landscape, and you will have a nice view there. The mausoleum can only be reached by road.

Mausoleum of Wanggon

At the foot of Mt. Songak, 4 km north of Kaesong is the Mausoleum of Wanggon (877-943), the founder king of Koryo (918-1392). He was the son of a local landlord. From the age of 20 he served the State Thaebong and reached the post of Sijung, the highest civil post. In June 1918 he overthrew Thaebong and founded a new dynasty. He moved the capital from Cholwon to Songak and renamed it Kaeju (Kaesong). In April 935 he conquered Silla and in September 936 he also annexed Later Paekje to Koryo. Wanggon died in 943 and his tomb was built in Haeson-ri.
The mausoleum is new, it was rebuilt in 1994. It covers an area of 5.5 ha and includes a gate, a house for services, stone statues and the tomb.

Pagyon Falls

In Pagyon-ri, 25 km from Kaesong, you can find the famous falls. The water goes down 37 meters and can be as wide as 8 meters. The water flows into Komo Lake. On a hill east of Komo Lake there is Pomsa Pavilion. West of the hill you can see the big round Ryong Rock.

Kumgang of Kaesong

The beautiful valley stretching out from Pomsa Pavilion to Taehung Fort is called Kumgang of Kaesong. There are dense forests, clear streams and lakes, imposing rocks and all kind of plants.

Taehung Mountain Fort
Taehung Mountain Fort encompasses Chonma Mountain and Songgo Mountain. It was built in the Koryo period. The walls are more than 10 km long and on average 4-5 meters high. Originally there were four big and two small gates, but Puk Gate, in the north and with a pavilion, is left. Inside the fort there are the Kwanum Temple and the Taehung Temple, both from the Koryo period.

Kwanum Temple
The temple can be reached by Puk Gate and than along Pak Lake and the Pagyon Rest Home on a 1,5 km long road along the small valley between Chonmasan and Songgosan. The temple originates from 970, has been enlarged in 1393 and rebuilt in 1646. The beautiful wooden temple, the Taeung Hall, is a very nice example of architecture in the Li Dynasty. In front of the temple there is a small, seven stories pagoda. Behind the temple there is a, presumably very old, cave temple; in it were found two remarkable marble statues of Kwanum (in China Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy).

Taehung Temple
About 2 km from the Kwanum Temple there used to be the big Taehung Temple which was destroyed many years ago by foreign invaders. The temple school, dating from the 10th century, remained and was then changed into Taehung Temple.