Buyeo Cheongmasanseong Fortress

About this place

The largest of all Baekje mountain fortresses, Buyeo Cheongmasanseong is a Baekje-era mountain fortress located in Neungsan-ri, Buyeo-eup, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. It sits on Myeongwol Mountain (Nŭngsan) in Buyeo-gun and was built to defend Sabi, the Baekje capital of the time. It is a valley-enclosing (pogok-sik) mountain fortress, built of stone along the mountain ridge with a valley enclosed within. The walls are largely collapsed, but the western wall is comparatively well preserved. A water gate (sugo) appears to have existed on the western wall where the valley stream flowed out, and since it was built for defensive purposes, there is no southern gate. Within the fortress, remains of a watchtower (mangdae) built high to observe enemy movements, a well site known as Gaksi-umul, and the sites of Gyeongnyongsa Temple and Uiyeolsa Shrine and building foundations survive. As the largest mountain fortress among Baekje's fortresses, together with Seokseong Sanseong, Seongeung Sanseong, and Jeungsan Sanseong, it is significant as part of the outer defensive perimeter protecting Buyeo.