The Mountain Birds Cried for the Fallen Anheungjin Naval Soldiers

Discovery of Classical Poems at Sinjindo Old House in Taean
Evidence of Anheungjin Naval Garrison’s Government Residence:
Collection of Military Cloth and Grain for Naval Administration
Countless Naval Soldiers Perished Assisting Grain Ships Through Anheungnyang
"People fall like osmanthus blossoms... even the spring mountains are silent"

Anheungnyang Gwanjangmok

"The livelihood of farming households depends solely on this/ Last autumn, I sowed glutinous barley in the southern field/ In the time when heaven and earth are silent and desolate/ The mountains and rivers are lonely, leaves falling everywhere/ This year, in just two months, autumn will arrive/ In the midst of coming and going, this is always the same each year/ The royal edict to collect cloth has already been proclaimed/ Suddenly, last night, the barley harvest has come."

This is a classical Chinese poem titled "Hwangmaektayangchulga (Each Household Harvests Glutinous Barley)" that encapsulates the history of the naval garrison village (Sugunjinchon). The poem, along with a naval roster and other documents, was discovered last month by the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage while dismantling wallpaper at an old house in Sinjindo, Taean. The findings indicate that the old house in Sinjindo, Taean, managed by the Anheungjin naval garrison, was used to collect and manage military cloth (gunbo) and grains.

Sinjindo Overpass

This house was built in 1843. According to Choi Inbok, a descendant who lived there, the buildings were arranged in a square shape centered around the main hall. The property covered 860 square meters and included five rooms, six storage rooms, three kitchens, a cowshed, a stable, and more. Currently, only an L-shaped structure remains. An official from the institute stated, "The existence of six storage rooms suggests that this was likely a government residence (gwan-ga) used to manage the Anheungjin naval garrison."

The recently confirmed "Hwangmaektayangchulga" poem supports this view. Another poem discovered at the site, "Munsinseolgayeonsabanghyeonsidagwiji (Upon hearing the news of a newly built house and a grand banquet, scholars from all directions gathered)," further reinforces this assumption. The records indicate that in 1843, a house was built in Sinjindo, Taean, to serve as the government residence for the Anheungjin naval garrison, and the following year, Jo Jindal, the Anheungjin Cheomsa (commander), hosted a banquet to welcome guests from all directions.

Hwangmaektayangchulga

"So many things are displayed at the banquet/ Scholars from all directions compete to come/ The seaside island enjoys a golden age like the days of Yao and Shun/ The traditions passed down from ancient times still flourish/ The virtuous guests drink and soon are all drunk/ Birds sing above and below the mountains at sunset/ The tables and plates fill the hall/ This is the greatest banquet since ancient times/ Young and old sit together/ Some, drunk, dance and sing, and everyone is intoxicated/ Such a feast is hard to encounter except in times of prosperity/ As the sun sets, they sing and then disperse and return home."

A cursive-script poem in the same form and title as "Jomyeonggan (Birds Sing by the Stream)," a five-character quatrain by Wang Wei (699-759) of the Tang Dynasty, was also found. The poem commemorates the Anheungjin naval soldiers who perished while helping grain transport ships navigate the treacherous waters of Anheungnyang. It vividly describes the numerous lives lost in the waters off Anheungnyang.

Map of Sinjindo Island in 1915

"Like osmanthus blossoms falling in the human world/ The night deepens and the spring mountains are silent/ The mountain birds, startled by the rising moon/ Sing from the spring stream."

According to the Seungjeongwon Ilgi (Diaries of the Royal Secretariat), seven out of every ten ships traveling through Anheungnyang capsized and sank. More than twenty ships sank each year, and in years with strong winds, up to fifty ships were lost. An official from the institute commented, "Perhaps due to the perilous nature of these waters, the phrase 'Muryangsugak' (Hall of Infinite Life) was also found at the old house."

Map of Anheungjin during the Joseon King Jeongjo period

The institute plans to use this discovery as an opportunity to search for and translate personal anthologies and literary works related to the Anheungjin naval garrison that have been passed down in the private sector. These include "Baekgokjip" by Kim Deuksin (1604-1684), "Choiwajip" by Kim Gyuo (1729-1791), and "Eunsongdangjip" by Lee Sangjeok (1804-1865). In addition, the newly discovered artifacts will be unveiled at the 2nd Academic Conference on the History of Taean Anheungjin and Anheungjin Fortress, to be held on July 24 at the Taean Maritime Relics Exhibition Hall.

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