What Is the Fate of the South Korean Great Southern Gate Coursework

What Is the Fate of the South Korean Great Southern Gate - Coursework Example On December 20, 1962, the South Korean government exalted the Great Southern Gate to the position of the country’s national treasure number one. The gate is a brilliant example of the ancient architecture of the Yi Dynasty Empire. After its construction, Namdaemun was the tallest building of them all, towering majestically over the smaller buildings and palaces in the city of Seoul. At present, it struggles for prominence dwarfed by the giant skyscrapers in the fast-paced city. Despite the fact that there are four large gates and five minor gates in Seoul, only Namdaemun has been selected as a National Treasure. It was chosen as South Korea's National Treasure number one because, in 1962, when the South Korean government launched the establishment of National Treasures, Namdaemun stood as a sterling paragon of ancient Confucian architecture. Newworldencyclopedia.org further notes that the Great South Gate, magnificent and striking by the time King Sejong reconstructed it in the 1470s, ushered in all Chinese and Japanese dignitaries on their way to visit the King. That is the only gate through which they could enter. Confucianism had blended into the culture of the Korean society well before the Yi Dynasty but later on, it grew in prominence. Namdaemun thus epitomizes both the supreme power of the Korean Empire and the governing place of Confucianism not only in Korean politics but also in their religion and culture.  Ã‚   Seoul, the capital of Korea since the naissance of the Joseon Dynasty circa 1392 C.E. until now, had been a fortified city having nine gates that allowed passage in and out of the city. The founders of the city built four main gates and five minor ones. The four main gates were positioned in the direction of the four cardinal points: North, south, east and west. The south, east and west gates would open at daybreak and shut at the end of the day at the ringing of the city bell. The northern gate remained blocked and was set aside purely to facilitate the king's flight to Pukhan Sansong or more remote buttresses during times of danger. Namdaemun was the "southern gate." Yi T'aejo built all the nine city gates together with the Namdaemun gate during the fourteenth century C.E. The Joseon Dynasty also known as Choson or Chosun was the last ruling dynasty in Korea, reigning from 1392 to 1910 at the start of the Japanese annexation.