Namhansanseong
Namhansanseong Fortress was the emergency capital of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), located in a mountainous area 25 km southeast of Seoul. Built and guarded by Buddhist monks, the fortress could accommodate 4,000 people and served important administrative and military functions. Its earliest remains date back to the 7th century, but it was rebuilt several times, especially in the early 17th century to guard against attacks by the Qing Dynasty. The city embodies a synthesis of defensive military engineering concepts of the time, based on Chinese and Japanese influences, and changes in the art of defense after the introduction of weapons using gunpowder from the West. Inhabited since ancient times and long a provincial capital, the city contains a variety of military, civil and religious buildings that became a symbol of Korean sovereignty.