Byeolmangseong Fortress Site

Two low hills in Choji-dong, Ansan, are joined by a stone wall. It is what remains of a coastal fortress built in the early Joseon period to keep Japanese pirates out of Namyang Bay, and today about 225 m of wall runs through the trees like a woodland path. Every autumn the fortress site hosts the Byeolmangseong Art Festival, one of Ansan's best-known cultural events.

A naval post on the coast

Byeolmangseong is thought to date from the early Joseon period. Its builders linked two shallow peaks on the shore with stone walls to stop raiders landing on the coast. A naval garrison commanded by a manho officer was based here. According to the records, when silt built up and ships could no longer reach it, the garrison moved to Yeongjongpo in Incheon, then returned once the channel deepened again. Together with the nearby Moknae-ri and Gunja fortresses, it guarded Namyang Bay on the west coast.

From 1,040 m to 225 m

Old records give a circumference of 1,040 m and walls 1.2–2.1 m high. Most of the fortress was destroyed in the Korean War, and Ansan rebuilt it in 1988 using what was left. The surviving wall is about 225 m long and 1.45 m high. On the outside the stones were laid almost vertically; on the inside, earth was packed into a gentle slope. Fragments of celadon and other pottery have been found in the middle of the fortress. It became a designated Gyeonggi Province heritage site (No. 73) on 3 September 1979.

What to look out for

• The wall walk: follow the restored wall and compare the vertical stone face on the outside with the earth bank on the inside.
• The garrison site: on the flatter ground you can see an area thought to have held the military camp.
• The steps: stone and timber steps link the two hills and show how the wall rises and falls.

Manho commanders and coastal defence

A manho was a naval commander posted to one of the coastal garrisons of the Joseon era. Namyang Bay on the west coast was a route by which ships could push deep inland, so a chain of small coastal forts like Byeolmangseong kept watch over the sea. The record of the garrison moving to Yeongjongpo and back shows how the shifting mud flats of the west coast could decide the fate of a military post. Standing on the wall and imagining where the old shoreline ran makes it much clearer why the fort was built here.

Tripto tips

• The festival: the Byeolmangseong Art Festival has been held since 1987. It honours the spirit of the Byeolcho troops of the Daebu area who fought invaders in the Goryeo period, and usually takes place around the fortress in late September or early October. Dates change every year, so check Ansan city announcements.
• Time needed: 30 minutes to 1 hour is enough to walk the walls. Step down to the outside and look up at the vertical stone face to get a sense of the wall's height.
• Getting there: Ansan city suggests city bus 511 to the Shin Ansan University stop, then a walk of about 30 minutes. Driving is far easier.
• Watch out: the walls and steps get overgrown in summer and slippery after rain, so wear trainers. The address is 656 Choji-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan.