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Hanseong (Joseon capital)

Type Object Region Korean Peninsula Time 1394

Hanseong (한성, also called Hanyang) was the capital of the Joseon dynasty from its establishment in 1394 until the kingdom's fall in 1910, located on …

Timeline

  1. 1394–1405Hanseong · Korean PeninsulaKing Taejo Yi Seong-gye chose Hanyang by geomancy, formally moved the capital there in 1394 and built Gyeongbokgung, arranging the ancestral shrine and altar of soil and grain according to the 'Zhou Rites' principle of shrine on the left and altar on the right, and constructing the four great gates, laying the foundation of Hanseong's five-century capital layout.
  2. 1592–1593Hanseong · Korean PeninsulaIn 1592 Japanese forces invaded and King Seonjo fled north in haste; enraged commoners first burned Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and the slave-register documents of government offices. The Japanese occupied Hanseong for about a year, and the city suffered severe damage, with palaces, government offices and storehouses almost razed to the ground.
  3. 1601–1623Hanseong · Korean PeninsulaPrince Gwanghae vigorously promoted Hanseong's reconstruction, repairing Changdeokgung as the main palace and newly building Gyeongdeokgung (Gyeonghuigung), conscripting laborers by force, so that the city gradually regained political functioning in the early 17th century, with population and market commerce recovering accordingly.

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