Heunginjimun (Dongdaemun) Gate and Seoul City Wall

Heunginjimun, popularly called Dongdaemun or Great East Gate, stands at 288 Jong-ro in Jongno-gu. It is the eastern main gate of Hanyangdoseong, the city wall of the Joseon capital, which was built from 1396 under King Taejo and runs for 18.6 kilometres along the ridges of four inner mountains, Bugaksan, Naksan, Namsan and Inwangsan. The gate was rebuilt in 1869 in its present form, a two-storey timber pavilion with a multi-eaved roof on a stone arch. It is distinguished by an ongseong, a semicircular outer wall built in front to protect the gate, a feature that no other main gate in the wall has. The name means Gate of Rising Benevolence, and the first character reflects Confucian virtue. The gate was damaged in the Korean War but survived, and it is designated Treasure No. 1. From the gate, the wall trail runs north up Naksan Park, with views of the city and the reconstructed sections of the wall, connecting with Hyehwa and Seongbuk. The Seoul City Wall Museum, in the Dongdaemun area, covers the construction of the wall, the stonework of different periods and the culture of the city through chronological exhibits, and the Naksan section is open Tuesday to Sunday. The wall was partly demolished in the early 20th century when the city expanded and under Japanese rule, and much of it was restored beginning in the 1970s. The wall was nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status, and the trail is popular for walks at dusk. Stones of differing sizes and styles mark the sections built in the 14th, 15th and 18th centuries and later restorations, so visitors can read the wall's history directly from the masonry. Dongdaemun Design Plaza and the Dongdaemun fashion markets lie nearby, and the gate can be viewed at any hour. The nearest stations are Dongdaemun and Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. Admission is free.