Seoul City Wall Museum’s Special Exhibition Entitled
‘Operation of the Capital Wall Gates in Joseon’ in the First Half of the Year
Eight gates of the Seoul City Wall (or Hanyangdoseong) of the Joseon period were the only passageway through which people and commodities inside and outside of the castle could pass, and it served as important points that led to the main roads linking the capital city of Hanyang (now Seoul) and provincial areas.
When the castle gates were closed after dark, all passage inside the capital city was prohibited until they were reopened the following morning, and the lives of citizens were adjusted so that days in the capital city began and ended with the opening and closing of the castle gates.
The third exhibition in the “Hanyangdoseong from the Records III” introduces anecdotes related to the opening and closing of the castle gates that appear in various data records from the Joseon period.
As the opening and closing of the castle gates were closely related to the protection of the capital city and the livelihood of its citizens, the gates were managed and operated in accordance with strict rules.
We hope this will be a good occasion to verify the management system of Seoul City Wall through various incidents that occurred at each of the gates.