Geonjisanseong Fortress, Seocheon

Basic information

Designation

Historic Site No.60

Category

Sites & Pagodas

Era

삼국시대

Designated year

1963

Location

서천군, 충청남도— 충남 서천군 한산면 지현리 산3번지

Coordinates

36.087593, 126.791556

This fortress consists of two walls: one circling the 170m-high summit of Geonjisan Mountain and the other encircling the northwestern valley. This large fortress, called Geonjisanseong, was built around the latter Baekje Period (18 B.C.-A.D. 660) or the early Unified Silla Period (668-935). This two-wall style came into being in the latter part of the Baekje Period. Two small fortresses, as forts of Geonjisanseong, on the southwestern peak of the fortress, are also another characteristic of the Baekje fortresses. The northern part of the fortress used the steep cliffs as the natural wall, while other parts were built piling up the soil and now they are collapsed considerably. The sites of an eastern and a western gate have also been found. The terraced areas are believed to have been the foundations of buildings. Fragments of Baekje earthenware and carbonated rice have been unearthed here. A small temple called Bongseosa is located inside the wall. This fortress is located at the major point of traffic in the downstream area of Geumgang River. Some historians believe that Geonjisanseong Fortress was a major stronghold in Baekje's fight against the neighboring kingdom of Silla (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) and Tang China in the dynasty’s final years.

Location