춘천칠층석탑

In the latter part of the 1800s, Joseon was going through troubled times both internally and externally due to the persecution of the Catholic church and foreign invasion. Gojong, the king of Joseon at the time, chose Chuncheon as a refuge to prepare for emergencies. King Gojong ordered the building of a secondary palace for use in case of an emergency like the outbreak of a war or uprising, in Chuncheon. The construction of Chuncheon Secondary Palace was completed in 1890. Chuncheon Secondary Palace is the first secondary palace built by the order of Gojong. The parent building of Chuncheon Secondary Palace is Munsogak, which was built as a government office in 1646 in the current site of the Gangwon Provincial Office. Munsogak is associated with the story about Emperor Shun, a figure in Chinese legend. Emperor Shun enjoyed playing the musical instrument called “So.” He was very good at playing the So and the sound of this musical instrument was beautiful. It was so mesmerizing that, after listening to Emperor Shun’s musical performance, Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher, lost the appetite for delicious meat for three months. According to the legend, when Emperor Shun played the “So,” a phoenix, a symbol of peaceful reign, flew in and danced. “So” of Munsogak comes from the musical instrument played by Emperor Shun. At the time Munsogak was built, Joseon was in an impoverished state due to the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592 and the Manchu invasion in 1627. Munsogak was aptly named so as to pray for the peace and prosperity of Joseon.

On the premises of the Gangwon Provincial Office lie Wibongmun Gate and Joyangnu Gate Pavilion, which are parts of the only royal palace that ever existed in the Yeongseo region. Wibongmun, Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 1 of Gangwon-do, and Joyangnu, Cultural Heritage Number 2 of Gangwon-do, returned to the site of the Gangwon Provincial Office, their original location, in 2013 after being moved around over a long period of time. What had Wibongmun and Joyangnu gone through before they returned to their present location? The story of Wibongmun and Joyangnu is connected to that of the Chuncheon Secondary Palace. A secondary palace is built in preparation for an emergency, such as the outbreak of war or an uprising. Examples of secondary palaces include Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, and Gyeonghuigung Palace in Jongno and Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Gojong, the king of Joseon in the latter part of the 1800s, ordered to build a secondary palace. The Chuncheon Secondary Palace was built on the basis of Munsogak, which was a government office that is equivalent to city hall in the present time. Joyangnu and Wibongmun had already existed in Munsogak. These structures were rebuilt while the Chuncheon Secondary Palace was constructed. The Chuncheon Secondary Palace was completely destroyed in a fire. Fortunately, though, Wibongmun and Joyangnu escaped the fire. As for Wibongmun, it had been relocated twice, once due to the construction of a new building for the Gangwon Provincial Office in 1955, and then returned to the site of Chuncheon Secondary Palace. Joyangnu had been relocated to Udusan Mountain in 1938. Then, following repairs in 1969, it was rebuilt in front of Wibongmun in 2013. The space between Wibongmun and Joyangnu, although narrow, is a great spot for taking great pictures. Don’t forget to take souvenir pictures in front of Wibongmun and Joyangnu.

There is a small park on Soyang-ro 2-ga, a street located between Myeong-dong Street and Chuncheon Station. On this street stands Seven-story Stone Pagoda in Chuncheon, which is Treasure No. 77. Seven-story Stone Pagoda in Chuncheon is currently located in between a four-lane road and an apartment complex, creating an atmosphere where the past coexists with the present. Pictures taken in front of this pagoda seem as though they have been taken at a temple site in the heart of the city. At the time the Korean War broke out in 1950, Seven-story Stone Pagoda in Chuncheon was seriously damaged by bullets and fire. Thanks to repair work that was conducted in 2000, however, it regained its original appearance to a degree. The decorative part at the top of Seven-story Stone Pagoda in Chuncheon, which measures 6.3m in height, disappeared and the four corners of the roof stone were nearly crushed down. This stone pagoda is proof of the tragedy of war. Considering that Seven-story Stone Pagoda in Chuncheon was made with granite and decorated with a lotus pattern, it is presumed to be a cultural heritage from the middle years of Goryeo between 918 and 1392. It is not clear as to at which Buddhist temple this stone pagoda was originally located. There is a record, however, that a vessel with the inscription of “Chungwonsa Temple” was discovered along with roof tile pieces when a person named Yu Jeongrip, who was serving as a government official in Chuncheon during the period of rule by King Injo of Joseon in the 1600s, built his house near this stone pagoda. So, it is presumed that this stone pagoda was located in Chungwonsa Temple.