[One Day Walk] Following the Traces of 'Ganghwa Cheondo'... Ganghwa Nadeulgil Course 15

The nickname of Course 15 on the Ganghwa Nadeul-gil is the 'Goryeo Palace Fortress Trail.' As the name suggests, it is a path that follows the traces of the palace and fortress of the Goryeo dynasty, which moved its capital to Ganghwa Island during the Mongol invasions in the 13th century. The total length is 11 km, and it takes about 4 hours to complete. Starting from the South Gate of Ganghwa Fortress, the trail passes Namjangdae, the West Gate, the North Gate, and the Goryeo Palace Site, ending at the East Gate.

To block the Mongol invasion, the Goryeo dynasty relocated its capital to Ganghwa Island. In this process, Ganghwa, which had been just a county in Yanggwang Province, was elevated to 'Gangdo,' meaning capital, and the palace called 'Gangdo Bon-gwol' was built. Additionally, outer, middle, and inner fortress walls were constructed in layers to defend against foreign invasions. After the end of the Goryeo-Mongol War, all the fortresses were dismantled according to the Ganghwa Treaty. During the Joseon Dynasty, the inner fortress was rebuilt, but it was destroyed again by the Qing during the Byeongja Horan (Second Manchu invasion). It was reconstructed once more during King Sukjong's reign. Currently, the inner fortress still has all four main gates intact, with some fortress walls and secret tunnels called 'ammun' remaining, but the middle and outer fortresses have been heavily damaged to the point where traces are hard to find. Some parts of the inner fortress walls remain unrestored, and especially the section between the East and South Gates crosses almost through Ganghwa town, making it difficult to find traces of the fortress. It seems this section is excluded from the Nadeul-gil course as well.

The starting point of the course is the South Gate. The pavilion is named Anparu, which was originally destroyed in 1955 and restored in 1975 as part of the Ganghwa region's national defense heritage cleanup project. The outer plaque bears the name 'Gangdo Nammun,' derived from Ganghwa Island's capital era name Gangdo, while the inner plaque displays the name Anparu.

Leaving the South Gate and walking along the fortress wall, you will come across Namjangdae. It was a military facility belonging to Jinmuyeong, which was responsible for defending the west coast during the Joseon Dynasty, serving as a surveillance and command post. Originally, Ganghwa Fortress had three jangdae (command posts): Namjangdae, Bukjangdae, and Seojangdae. However, over time, all jangdae disappeared, and only Namjangdae, restored in 2010, remains today. From Namjangdae, as a surveillance facility, you can see the entire surrounding area at a glance, including Ganghwa town and even as far as Yeongjongdo Island.

After leaving Namjangdae and passing Gukhwa Reservoir and Seoksu Gate, you reach the West Gate. Located on the boundary between Gwancheong-ri and Gukhwa-ri in Ganghwa town, it had disappeared but was restored in 2011 with the pavilion Cheomhwaryu and stone walls on both sides. Nearby is the site of Yeonmudang, which was built to train Ganghwa's soldiers but is famous as the place where the Treaty of Ganghwa (Joseon-Japan Treaty of Amity) was signed in 1876 under coercion by Japan. It was the first modern treaty Korea signed with a foreign country but was an unequal treaty favoring Japan. To ensure this is not forgotten, a commemorative monument was erected with an inscription emphasizing the need to maintain national independence awareness.

Leaving the West Gate and continuing along the path, you come to the North Gate, named Jinsongru. After the Goryeo-Mongol War, it was dismantled at the Mongols' request, rebuilt in the early Joseon period, but destroyed again by Qing forces during the Byeongja Horan. During King Sukjong's reign, the fortress was repaired and expanded to include Namsan. Leaving the North Gate and passing the under-restoration Bukjangdae, walking along the fortress wall leads to the Goryeo Palace Site. Although smaller than the palaces in Gaegyeong, it was a palace with all the necessary buildings and was used as a temporary palace or government office during the Joseon period. The Oegyujanggak (Royal Library Annex) was located here but was mostly burned down by French forces during the Byeongin Yangyo (French campaign against Korea). The Oegyujanggak Uigwe (royal protocols), which were taken by the French as loot, have been permanently 'loaned' back to Korea. Finally, reaching the East Gate, Manghanru, the course ends. It is said that during the Byeongin Yangyo, French forces entered Ganghwa Fortress through this gate.