"Gwanghwamun Haechi Statue Was Located 1 to 1.5 Meters Away from the Marker Stone"

National Ganghwa Cultural Heritage Research Institute and US WaferMasters Announce Research Results
Digital Image Analysis Based on Glass Plate Photos Taken in Early 1900s

Photo of German Major Hermann Sander in Gwanghwamun (1906~1907)

A study has revealed that the original location of the Haechi statues at Gwanghwamun was about 1 to 1.5 meters away from the current marker stones.

The National Ganghwa Cultural Heritage Research Institute, in collaboration with the American image analysis software developer WaferMasters, announced the results of a study estimating the original positions of the Haechi statues on the 14th. According to the restoration results through digital image analysis, the western Haechi was located about 1.5 meters northeast of the current marker stone. The eastern Haechi is also likely to have been about 1 meter northwest of its current marker. The original sites where the Haechi statues stood are now used as roads and plazas. Because of this, only marker stones have been erected at the estimated original locations.

Estimating the Position of the Hatch Emblem through Photo Composition

The Haechi is an imaginary creature believed to distinguish right from wrong. Traditionally regarded as a divine beast that wards off fire and disasters, statues of Haechi were erected at important facilities such as palaces and temples. The Gwanghwamun Haechi statues were originally placed on both sides in front of the Woldae (a wide pedestal structure installed in front of important palace buildings like the main hall). However, they were dismantled along with Gwanghwamun during the construction of the Japanese Government-General Building in the 1920s. When Gwanghwamun was relocated near the entrance of the current National Folk Museum, the Haechi statues were moved to stand in front of the Government-General Building. After the Government-General Building was demolished in 1995 and Gwanghwamun was restored to its current location, the statues were placed at their present site.

The original locations of the Haechi statues could be estimated from glass plate photographs taken in the early 1900s. Digital image analysis was applied using Analytical Photogrammetry, a photographic surveying method that measures the actual coordinates of points in photos and geometrically analyzes the positions and elevations of objects depicted. Photographs of the current Gwanghwamun area were taken from the same angles as the glass plate photos, and the coordinates of subjects such as Bukaksan Mountain and Gwanghwamun appearing in the photos were surveyed using the Global Positioning System (GPS). Then, the current and historical photos were merged, and the coordinates in the photos were analyzed to estimate the original locations of the Haechi statues.

Digital Image Analysis Results on the Estimated Original Position of the Hatch Mark

An official stated, “When comparing the coordinates of the actual Gwanghwamun and those measured through image analysis this time, the margin of error was about 2.5%,” adding, “If the program and surveying technology are improved in the future, more refined analysis results can be obtained.” They also said, “This can be used for future restoration plans of the Gwanghwamun Woldae and Haechi statues.”

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