Jeolla Byeongyeong Fortress, Gangjin

In the middle of the fields of Byeongyeong-myeon, Gangjin, a 1,060 m ring of stone walls encloses the Jeolla Byeongyeong Fortress. From 1417 to 1895, roughly 500 years, it was the army headquarters commanding the 53 counties and 6 garrisons of Jeolla Province, including Jeju Island. The Dutch sailor Hendrick Hamel spent almost seven years here, so seeing the fortress together with the Hamel Museum next door makes the visit far richer.

Heart of Jeolla's army

The fortress was built in 1417, the 17th year of King Taejong, by General Ma Cheon-mok, the first army commander of the province. Until the Gabo Reform changed the system in 1895, the commander of Jeolla's and Jeju's land forces was based here. It burned during the Donghak Peasant War in 1894, and when the garrison was abolished the following year, every building inside disappeared.

By the time it was listed, only parts of the wall remained. After designation as a Historic Site in 1997, restoration began in 1998, rebuilding the 3.5 m high walls and the south and east gates. The south gate is guarded by an ongseong, a curved outer wall that stopped attackers from charging straight at the gate.

Hamel's seven years

Hamel and his companions were sailors on a Dutch East India Company ship bound for Japan when they were shipwrecked on Jeju. After a period in Hanyang they were sent to the provinces, and from 1656 to 1663 they lived here at the garrison, doing odd jobs, making and selling wooden clogs and even dancing for money. They are said to have got on well with villagers and monks.

The herringbone-pattern stone walls still seen in Byeongyeong village are traditionally credited to techniques the Dutchmen passed on. Because Korean wooden clogs were carved from a single block like Dutch ones, unlike Japanese clogs, some even suggest the sailors introduced them.

In 1663 the group was split between the naval base at Yeosu, Suncheon and Namwon, and in 1666 seven of them escaped from Yeosu. Hamel's account, known as Hamel's Journal, became the first detailed description of Joseon Korea published in the West.

Around the fortress

• Hamel Museum: opened in 2007, it tells the story of the shipwreck and the sailors' life in Joseon.
• Seongdong-ri ginkgo: about 300 m from the fortress, in the middle of the village, this ginkgo is thought to be around 800 years old. It stands 30 m tall with a girth of 6.75 m, and Hamel is said to have sat beneath it thinking of home. Legend says an army commander fell ill after sleeping on a wooden pillow made from this tree and recovered only after making offerings to it; the village still holds a rite for the tree every year at midnight on the 15th day of the second lunar month.
• Hongyo Bridge: an arched stone bridge over the Kkachinae Stream; only the arch keeps its original form. A local story says it was built to honour the son of a forbidden love between a slave and a nobleman's daughter, who returned home as a high official.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: the walls are always open, free of charge, with free parking. The Hamel Museum is open 09:00–17:00 and closed on Mondays.
• Time needed: a lap of the walls, the south gate, the Hamel Museum and the ginkgo take 1–1.5 hours.
• Getting there: about 10 km north of central Gangjin in a straight line; a car is by far the easiest option.
• Photos: the south gate and its outer wall look best in the afternoon light. From the top of the walls you can see the fields and the stone-walled village lanes.
• Combine with: Dasan Chodang, where Jeong Yak-yong spent his exile, and Wolchulsan for a full day in Gangjin.