Samdo Sugun Tongjeyeong

The city of Tongyeong takes its name from this place, the Tongjeyeong. It was the headquarters of the Samdo Sugun Tongjesa, the commander of the navies of three provinces, Chungcheong, Jeolla and Gyeongsang, and from 1605 to 1895 it was the supreme command of the Joseon navy in the southern seas. Today the National Treasure Sebyeonggwan and a group of restored government buildings stand on a hillside above Tongyeong harbour, giving a real sense of the scale of the old naval base.

History: from Hansando to Duryongpo

The post of naval commander-in-chief was created in 1593, the year after the Japanese invasion began, when Jeolla Left Naval Commander Yi Sun-sin was given command of all three provincial fleets. The first headquarters was therefore his base on Hansando island. After the war, the sixth commander, Yi Gyeong-jun, began building at Duryongpo, today's Tongyeong, in 1603, and on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month of 1605 Sebyeonggwan and other halls were completed. "Tongyeong", the short form of the headquarters' name, became the name of the city.

The headquarters lasted 292 years, until provincial army and navy commands were abolished in 1895. Under Japanese rule, more than 100 buildings were demolished, leaving only Sebyeonggwan, and schools, a court and a tax office were built on the site. The area around Sebyeonggwan was tidied in 1975, a 1996 survey located the old foundations, and public offices were then moved out so that the compound could be rebuilt. It became a Historic Site in 1998.

What to see

• Sebyeonggwan: the guest hall of the headquarters, a massive single-storey building nine bays wide and five bays deep. It has no walls or windows, so light and wind pass straight through the forest of pillars. A raised section in the middle of the floor probably held the tablet representing the king.
• Mangilru: the two-storey gate tower at the entrance, once hung with a great bell that marked the curfew. It was rebuilt in 2000.
• Restored offices and the Twelve Workshops: parts of the commander's offices and of the Twelve Workshops that produced military supplies have been rebuilt. The workshops gathered craftsmen from across the country and are seen as the roots of Tongyeong's craft tradition.
• Suhangru: the pavilion where a surrender ceremony was staged during annual inspections. Land reclamation cut it off from the sea, and it was moved and rebuilt in 1987.
• Munhwa-dong beoksu: a stone guardian figure on the street right in front of the compound, worth a quick look.

How big was it

At its height the headquarters had more than 100 buildings: the commander's offices and residence, staff quarters, supply workshops and storehouses. Much of the site is now schools and housing, so the restored area is only part of the old compound. Stand on the floor of Sebyeonggwan and look down, though, and it is easy to see why the navy chose this hillside open to the sea. Tongyeong's town wall, begun in 1678, was pulled down along with its gates when the headquarters was dissolved, and nothing of it survives.

Good to know

A legend says the pillars of Sebyeonggwan kept falling until the commander, following an old man in a dream, dug a well and held a sacrifice. Some read it as a veiled memory of the many monks forced to work, and die, on the construction. Tongyeong's Chungnyeolsa, founded in 1606, is a shrine to Yi Sun-sin.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: March–October 09:00–18:00 (last tickets 17:30), November–February 09:00–17:30 (last tickets 17:00), open every day.
• Tickets: adults KRW 3,000, teenagers KRW 2,000, children KRW 1,000. Free for over-65s and pre-school children, and for everyone on the last Wednesday of each month.
• Nearby: Cheongma Street and Tongyeong Jungang Market are a few minutes' walk away.
• Time needed: 60–90 minutes. Tongyeong promotes night tourism, and evening events are sometimes held around the compound, so check the programme.
• Phone: site office +82 55-640-5644.