The walled city of Pyongyang, situated in Central and Phyongchon districts of Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, was the capital of Koguryo (277 BC-AD 668). It was also called walled city of Jangan.
In 427 Koguryo moved its capital from the walled city of Kungnae (Ji’an, China’s Jilin Province) to Pyongyang with more favourable conditions.
Just as they did with the walled city of Kungnae, the Koguryo people built the Anhak Palace on flatlands with the Taesongsan Fort nearby, so that all inhabitants could resist enemy attack in case of emergency from the fort.
As its national strength grew, Koguryo built between 552 and 586 the walled city of Pyongyang encompassing the whole of the city in a bid to defend the capital from the enemy invasion more effectively.
The Koguryo people developed the walled city into a combination of the flatland and mountainous forts on the basis of their experience in war effort.
The walled city of Pyongyang occupied a long terrain extending from north to south at a point where the Taedong and Pothong rivers join.
As a vantage point covering fields and low hills in the Pyongyang peneplain to a proper extent, the wall revealed a lot of advantages as it was hemmed in by flatlands and mountains. The Taedong and Pothong rivers which surrounded the city on three sides were instrumental for defending the city as a natural moat.
The walled city was about 16km in circumference.
The city was partitioned by walls into inner, middle, outer and northern parts. The total length of the four walls was approximately 23km.
The inner part was for the royal palace, the middle one for the government offices and outer one for residential quarters.
There were seven commanding posts in the walled city.
Typical commanding posts are Ulmil and Choesung in the inner and northern parts.
The walled city of Pyongyang showcases the history and culture of Koguryo, the appearance of the walled capital city in its later period and its development and the wisdom and resourcefulness of the Koguryo people.
Kim Ye Ryong
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