Mayor Donghwan Lee: "We Must Widely Promote National Heritage Content Such as Byeokjegwan and Bukhansanseong Haenggung"

Goyang City Restores Byeokjegwan and Bukhansanseong Haenggung Using 3D Digital Technology
Promoting National Heritage Preservation and Maintenance Projects
Building Evidence for Authentic Restoration
Digitally Revived National Heritage
Enhancing Awareness and Re-evaluating Value Through Improved Accessibility

Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) has digitally restored Byeokjegwan and Bukhansanseong Haenggung, representative national heritage sites of the region, using 3D digital technology.

The restored view of Byeokjegwan in digital content. Provided by Goyang Special City

According to Goyang Special City on the 21st, Byeokjegwan was one of the 31 guesthouses nationwide during the Joseon Dynasty, located in Goyang-dong, Deogyang-gu. It was first established in 1467 and was rebuilt in its current location in 1625 when the administrative center of Goyang was moved to Goyang-dong. Byeokjegwan was a guesthouse situated at the entrance of Uiju Road, which connected Hanyang (present-day Seoul) and Uiju during the Joseon period, serving as evidence of diplomatic relations between Joseon and China at the time. It was destroyed during the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, leaving only the site, and was designated as a national historic site in 1965.

Bukhansanseong Haenggung is a royal relic located in Bukhansan, Deogyang-gu. It was a palace within Bukhansanseong Fortress, which was built to effectively defend the Joseon capital, Hanyang. The palace consisted of a total of 129 rooms, including the inner quarters where the king and queen lived and the outer quarters where the king and officials conducted affairs. Bukhansanseong Haenggung was constructed in 1712, a year after the fortress was built, and records of repairs in 1893 suggest it was in use until the late 20th century. It was buried by a major flood in 1915, leaving only the site, and was designated as a national historic site in 2007.

Goyang City is making various efforts to restore the lost original forms of the core heritage sites, Byeokjegwan and Bukhansanseong Haenggung.

Panoramic view of Bukhansanseong Haenggung restored as digital content. Provided by Goyang Special City

Byeokjegwan was first excavated in 1998, which helped understand the overall status of the site, but due to a lack of academic verification materials to support restoration, the reconstruction of the building did not proceed. However, in 2018, when a comprehensive maintenance plan was established in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Administration, the restoration of Byeokjegwan began to receive serious attention.

To secure the necessary data for the original restoration of Byeokjegwan, the city conducted a detailed excavation in 2021 on previously uninvestigated areas within the Byeokjegwan site, discovering remains of walls and auxiliary buildings. However, due to issues such as roads occupying the site and adjacent private properties, it is difficult to proceed with the restoration in the short term.

Meanwhile, numerous glass plate photographs taken in the early 20th century exist for Bukhansanseong Haenggung. Additionally, from 2013 to 2018, phased excavation surveys were conducted, securing academic verification materials for all buildings comprising the Haenggung.

Although a comprehensive maintenance plan was established in 2019 to lay the foundation for the original restoration of Bukhansanseong Haenggung, due to its location on the mid-slope of Bukhansan Mountain, the project is being carried out focusing on the maintenance of architectural remains, requiring considerable time and budget.

Kiosk installed at Byeokjegwanji. Provided by Goyang Special City

The digital restoration of Byeokjegwan and Bukhansanseong Haenggung began in September 2023 as part of the Cultural Heritage Administration’s plan for a digital transformation of cultural heritage. The city restored Goyang’s representative heritage sites using 3D digital technology, based on historical maps, photographs, excavation reports, and academic verification and review by experts including members of the Cultural Heritage Committee.

First, for Byeokjegwan, the area including the three gates at the entrance, the main building Jeongcheong, the connected wings Ikheon on both sides, the stone platform and walls connecting the gates and Jeongcheong, as well as the auxiliary building Yukgakjeong, which was illegally taken to Japan during the Japanese colonial period, were all recreated. The restoration also reflects the vegetation of the Joseon period, showing seasonal changes in the appearance of Byeokjegwan.

Bukhansanseong Haenggung was fully recreated with all 129 rooms based on the 1808 compilation "Mangi Yoram (萬機要覽)." The interior includes the inner quarters, corridors, inner gates, and royal kitchens, while the exterior features the outer quarters, middle gate, corridors, moon corridors, and outer gates, capturing the overall structure. Detailed features such as stairs and dancheong (traditional multicolored paintwork) were also implemented, along with representations of the Haenggung’s appearance through the four seasons.

In particular, the digital restoration materials of Bukhansanseong Haenggung are expected to be widely used as domestic and international promotional materials for Bukhansanseong, which the city is currently pursuing for World Heritage registration.

Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City. Provided by Goyang Special City

The digital restoration videos of Byeokjegwan and Bukhansanseong Haenggung can be viewed at the Goyang Cyber History Museum and large kiosks installed at each heritage site.

Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, said, “We will not only digitally record and restore national heritage but also create cultural heritage content that more citizens can enjoy, thereby enhancing the value of cultural heritage.”

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