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Gaegyeong, Goryeo capital

Type Object Region Korean Peninsula Time 918–1394

Gaegyeong (Gaegyeong-gyeong) was the main capital of the Goryeo dynasty from 918 to 1394, in present-day Kaesŏng, North Korea;…

Timeline

  1. 918Gaegyeong · KaesŏngAfter unifying the Later Three Kingdoms, Wang Geon made Songgyeong (Gaegyeong) his capital, renaming it Gaegyeong-gyeong and establishing it as the political center of the Goryeo dynasty for over four hundred years.
  2. c. 950–1100Gaegyeong palace district · KaesŏngIn the tenth and eleventh centuries palaces, the Ten Temples of Gaegyeong and other Buddhist temple complexes, and national academy institutions were built; the city layout imitated Tang Chang'an's ward system, with a flourishing population and commerce.
  3. 1232–1270Ganghwa Island · Ganghwa CountyMongol invasions forced the royal court to move to Ganghwa Island for about forty years; Gaegyeong's palaces were damaged and the capital's functions were weakened for a time; although the court later returned, the state was severely weakened.
  4. 1394Hanyang (present-day Seoul) · Seoul Special CityYi Seong-gye moved the capital to Hanyang (Seoul) in 1394, ending Gaegyeong's nearly five-hundred-year history as capital; it became a major regional town, with Goryeo palace and tomb remains still standing in the city.

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