Creation of a 'Historical and Cultural Specialty Street' Around Pungnap Toseong in Songpa-gu

Engraving Sumaksae on the floor, with shade cloths in blue and purple hues

Sumaksae Paving Block

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Songpa-gu (Mayor Seong-su Park) has transformed the sidewalks around Pungnap-dong to allow people to feel the historical value of the Baekje Hanseong period.

Songpa-gu is home to various relics from the 500-year Baekje Hanseong period (18 BCE ? 475 CE), including Pungnap Toseong, Mongchon Toseong, Seokchon-dong Burial Mounds, and Bangi-dong Burial Mounds. Following the completion of the comprehensive maintenance plan for the Pungnap-dong earthen fortress in 2019, projects to revive the historical significance of the Baekje Hanseong period have been underway.

Accordingly, the district is creating a ‘historical and cultural specialized street’ in Pungnap-dong, where major Baekje Hanseong relics are located.

Last year, using artifacts excavated from each site, a design reference book for Baekje Hanseong period cultural assets was produced, and a pilot project for design improvement was launched. In the section from Pungseong-ro Post Office to Pungnap Baekje Cultural Park, new designs featuring Chiljido (Seven-Branched Sword) and Sumaksae (decorative roof tiles) were applied to sidewalk blocks, manhole covers, and tree guards.

Due to positive resident feedback on the pilot project, this year the sidewalk design was further improved in the section from Yeongpa Girls’ Middle School to Gap-eul Apartments on Pungseong-ro. Considering the narrow width of the sidewalks in this area, instead of sidewalk blocks, a design coating pavement was applied. After paving the sidewalk with asphalt concrete, a coating-type flooring material was installed, and Sumaksae patterns were applied on top. In the second half of the year, design sidewalk block replacements are planned in front of Gwangseong Church, Yeongpa Girls’ High School, and Hangaram-ro at Pungnap Baekje Cultural Park.

Additionally, the district incorporated the historical significance of Baekje Hanseong into shade shelters. The shade shelters installed at the intersection connecting Pungseong-ro and Yeongpa Girls’ Middle and High Schools were changed from green to blue and purple, with Sumaksae patterns added. Their names were also changed to ‘Cheongunmak’ and ‘Jaunmak.’ This draws on a record from the Samguk Sagi stating that in the 26th year of King Goi, the 8th king of Hanseong Baekje, “blue and purple clouds (Cheongjaun, 靑紫雲) appeared in the shape of a pavilion in the eastern sky of the royal palace.”

Going forward, the district plans to gradually expand the design improvement projects for public facilities such as sidewalks, streetlights, guardrails, and cultural heritage protection fences throughout Pungnap-dong.

Songpa-gu Mayor Seong-su Park stated, “Pungnap-dong is the heart of Songpa’s historical culture where the breath of Baekje from 2,000 years ago still lives,” and added, “We will steadily promote the creation of a historical and cultural street centered on Pungnap-dong to build Songpa as a historical and cultural city where residents’ daily lives and history coexist.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.