8 Jun 2019 - Seoul Day 8: Sungnyemun Gate (崇礼门)

Before we checked out of our hotel, we still had time in the morning to do some nearby sightseeing and last minute shopping.  When we first arrived at Seoul from Busan few days back, we saw an ancient gate while walking towards our hotel.  We simply passed by it that day so we decided to walk over to have a better look of the gate.

Sungnyemun Gate is Korea’s National Treasure No. 1, and its unofficial name is Namdaemun Gate. It is the oldest and largest castle gate stone structure with an arched entrance in the middle. There’s a column on top of a platform, raising the roof, distinguishing the upper stories and lower stories of the building. Passageways for traffic are located at the east and west ends of the gate. Different from the other gates, Sungnyemun Gate’s tablet has its name written vertically. 

On February 10, 2008, Sungnyemun Gate became the subject of an arson attack, which resulted in severe damage to its structure including destruction of the entire second-floor roof.  The incident was promptly followed by restoration efforts that took over five years to complete, and it was restored closest to its original form.  The gate was re-opened to the public again as of May 4, 2013.

The gate was guarded by four guards who were wearing traditional uniform.  Javier took the opportunity to take a photo with them.

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