숭례문 Sungnyemun or alternatively called 남대문 Namdaemun is a one of the most important and popular Korean historical monuments. It is a fortified gate which was a part of Seoul medieval fortifications. This building was not built only for military purposes. It had also representative function. All foreign emissary missions were greeted at 숭례문 therefore it was a place where the foreigners were to encounter the splendour of Korean capital. The question raises itself: what architectural features made 숭례문 so special? It were: body of the building with its dimensions and of course dancheong.
The brief history of 숭례문
The construction of the gate started in 1396. The reason, it was decided to build it with the ring of fortifications, had its roots in the political situation of the period. In 1392 general 이성계 (I Seong Gye) overthrew Goryeo dynasty. He changed the name of the country to Joseon, proclaimed himself as a king (in history he is known by his regnal name Taejo), declared the new dynasty (이 - I dynasty) and moved the capital from 개성 (Gaeseong, Kaesŏng) to 한성 (Hanseong - it is an old name of Seoul). The latter event had its place in 1394. One year later king Taejo established 도성축조도감 (都城築造都監) - an office responsible for building the fortifications around the capital. The person responsible for 숭례문 counstruction was court's official 최유경 (Choe Yu Gyeong). On 1st January 1396 after special ceremony the king ordered the start of works upon the fortress. The ring of the fortified wall with 4 main and 4 minor gates was completed in 1398. 숭례문 became one of the 사대문 (Sadaemun) - Four Great Gates and it received its name. The plaque with the caligraphy of its name writen by hanja characters 崇禮門 was designed by famous caligrapher of that time 양녕대군 (Grand Prince Yangnyeong, the grandson of king Taejo). The characters were written vertically what makes 숭례문 distinctive among the other gates. The reason it was done like that are principles of 풍수 (Pungsu - Korean name of feng shui). King Taejo was afraid of fire that will burn the 경복궁 (Gyeongbokgung Palace), so it was ordered to secure the capital according to 풍수 regulations. It was believed that writting the name of 숭례문 vertically would ward off the threat of fire. The name 숭례문 means "Honoring Propriety Door" but in many sources it is known by its slang name 남대문 Namdaemun (南大門) what literally means South Great Gate. The second name of the building was also used in Joseon times what is confirmed in written sources, for example in Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.
숭례문 underwent a general reconstructions in years: 1433, 1447-1448, 1478-1479 and its present shape comes from those refurbishing works. It received stone base with wooden upper part which was covered with two-tired tiled roof. The gate was an integral part of city fortifications until 1907. That year Japanese decided to demolish the fortified wall near 숭례문. The reason was the Japanese prince's visitation who refused to go through the gate. Soon after this authorities built roads and tramway lines nearby. The terrain of the gate was fenced-off and the access was limited for people. In the 1933 the 조선보물고적명승천연기념물보존령 (Joseon Treasures, Historic Sites and Natural Monuments Conservation Decree) was issued and in the document the 숭례문 was given a rank as Korean Treasure No. 1. During the Korean War (1950-1953) the building had been damaged but soon after it underwent emergency renovation. The general building restoration had it place in years 1961-1963. On the 20th December 1962 the Cultural Protection Act was enacted by the 국가재건최고회의 (Supreme Council for National Reconstruction) and 숭례문 was redesignated as 대한민국의 국보 제1호 (National Treasure of Korea No. 1).
10th November 1994 the gate was selected as main Seoul landmark and symbol of the city. In 2003 the fortified wall, which had been demolished by Japanese in 1907, was reconstructed. 10 meter long sections of the stone fortifications were rebuilt from both sides of the gate. Thanks to that 숭례문 gained the same look as in the time when it was integrated in the Seoul's fortication system. Two years later the plaza around the gate was reconstructed and in 2006 access to the building for the people was restored.
In 2008 the fire caused by arson damged the wooden structure of the 숭례문. On 29th April 2013 the renovation of the historical monument was completed. During the building restoration process the authorities decided to amend 숭례문's features which were not done in the last general renovation (1961-1963). The caligraphy of the hanja characters in the plaque with the gate's name was rewritten accordingly to the copy which was held in 지덕사 (Jideogsa) temple. Two hanja characters: 崇 and 禮 received original forms like they were previously designed by 양녕대군. Moreover the new wooden structure of the 숭례문 received roof in historical shape. There were also made changes in the stone part of the gate. The fortified stone wall was extended 16 meters to the east and 53 meters to the west. The dimensions of the wall were changed to those which were confirmed by archeological research. In effect they were enlarged and the gate with its surroundings became a recontructed part of Seoul medieval fortress. As a result of all undertaken works, the 숭례문 received more historically appropriate look. On 1st May 2013 the administrative duties upon the gate was given to 대한민국 문화재청 (Cultural Heritage Administration), before that it had been under the 중구청 (Administration of the Jung District). On 4th May 2013 the 숭례문 was officially opened to public again.
숭례문 단청 - Sungnyemun dancheong
The style of the 숭례문's dancheong changed over the time. As it was built at the beginning of 이 (Yi) dynasty it was embelished in all three Joseon dancheong styles, i.e. early, middle and late Joseon dancheong. In the early Joseon period the 숭례문 was decorated by simplified pattern dancheongs with predominance of green and blue colours. This type of dancheong was created according to the rules of Confucianism which recommended the way of simplicity in all branches of art. Historical records kept the name of one of the dancheongjangs from that time who decorated the 숭례문. It was painter 김여문 who kept the rank of 부사맹 (busamaeng). He painted the dancheongs in 1479 during the general renovation of the gate ordered by the king 성종 (Seongjong). The middle Joseon period brought the wave of changes. It was caused by the import of the new red pigment from China which gained popularity really fast and changed the decorating style of the buildings. The dancheong, like it had been in the Goryeo times, became colorful again. In the late Joseon colour explicit character of the style was preserved but patterns evolved into really complicated forms. The 숭례문 was kept in this kind of embelishment long after the fall of the Joseon dynasty, i.e. till the 1963.
Last general renovation of the gate undertaken by the Joseon dynasty took place in 1868-1869. In 1890, for the last time, 숭례문's dancheongs were painted only by the paints made of natural pigments. From that time on, natural dyes gradually were falling into disuse. Their production ceased completelly in 80's of the 20th century.
At the end of 19th century chemical pigments had started to appear in the market and 20-30 years later they were widely used in the Korean Peninsula. They were cheaper, more resistant and their hues stronger than their natural equivalents. All 5 of the 숭례문's dancheong renovations done in 20th century were made using this type of paints.
The first dancheong renovation in the 20th century took place in 1954 and it was carried out during the emergency restoration. As mentioned above the Korean War inflicted serious damages to the gate. 김보현 (Kim Bo-Hyeon) the abbot of 경국사 (Gyeongguksa Monastery) responsible for renovating works kept the late Joseon style of the dancheong but he decided to change the shapes of the patterns. There was also added innovation in the design. Using the gold leafing technics the dancheong was enriched by the gold colour in some of its parts.
In the 1963 the dancheong was brought back to its original shape. According to the testimony of 한석성 (Han Seok-Seong) one of the renovators who took part in restoring duties in that time, it was decided to peel off the paints from 1954 to reach the earlier layer of the natural dyes from Joseon period. And by that means all the patterns were copied.
Seven years later the 숭례문's dancheong underwent minor renovation because green and blue colours faded. The same situation happened in 1973 but this time dancheong's colours changed becuase of pollution. The renovating works lasted only for one month while such restoring processes normally take 3-4 months. Again no changes in the pattern were done except the gold leafing that was reintroduced.
The last renovation in 20th century took place in 1988 before the Seoul Olympics. This time the design was changed. The authorities decided to simplify the pattern to make it historically more accurate. The gate lost highly elaborated style of the dancheong which in fact was more appropriate for temple buildings than for fortress architecture. As the 숭례문 was an example of military construction it was decided to make its embelishments more secular in character. As a result, the style of the dancheong shifted from geum dancheong to moro dancheong but it still remained late Joseon in character. It is worth mentioning that during 1988 renovation the dancheongjangs painted dragon on the ceiling inside the gate. It was innovation because there were not any known historical evidence about such painting in 숭례문.
The very last renovation of 숭례문's dancheong happened in 2012-2013, it was done during the final stage of rebuilding works after arson attack that happened on 10th February 2008. It was decided to make all renewal works in traditional way, so the same happened in case of dancheong. The responsibility for this lied in hands of 홍창원 (Hong Chang-Won) - dancheongjang, historian, artist and holder of rank Intangible Cultural Property No. 48. For the first time since the end of Joseon dynasty 숭례문 was to be painted only by natural dyes. The early Joseon style of the dancheong was chosen for the design of paintings. All the works were preceded by the research process. The head of the dancheongjang team carefully studied historical sources and visited other historical monuments in Korea to compare their patterns. The study's conlcusions gathered in 1963 after peeling off the dancheong layers were also taken into consideration. In effect the gate gained totally new look. The colourful late Joseon dancheong was replaced by the ascetic in character early Joseon one. The green and blue predominated among all colours in the paintings. From the two main aims that were to be achieved during the dancheong restoration, one was reached completely - it was design from 14th and 15th centuries, and the other one partially- it was case of natural dyes. It appeared that natural paints used during restoration process were not resistant to weather conditions therefore it was decided to mix them with chemical glue. It strengthened them however did not solve a problem entirely. Nowadays Korean research centers still seek solution. The aim is to obtain or, I should say, regain recipe for traditional natural paint that is resistant to weather conditions.
출처, 서지 / Sources, bibliography:
태조실록 - 10권, 태조 5년 9월 24일 기묘 2번째기사 1396년 명 홍무(洪武) 29년
세종실록 - 61권, 세종 15년 7월 21일 壬申 2번째기사 1433년 명 선덕(宣德) 8년
세종실록 - 117권, 세종 29년 8월 30일 己丑 2번째기사 1447년 명 정통(正統) 12년
성종실록 - 90권, 성종 9년 3월 20일 임오 2번째기사 1478년 명 성화(成化) 14년
성종실록 - 94권, 성종 9년 7월 19일 무인 2번째기사 1478년 명 성화(成化) 14년
서울 숭례문(─崇禮門) - term described in online 한국민족문화대백과사전 (Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture), owned by 한국학중앙연구원 (The Academy of Korean Studies)
국보 제 1호 서울 숭례문 - article on website of the 두클래스, owend by 동아출판
국보 제1호. 서울 숭례문 (서울 崇禮門) - term described on the website of the 문화재청
숭례문이 말하지 않았던 비밀, “고종 때 이런 일이…” - article on the website of 동아사이언스
10년전 화마 겪은 숭례문…복구 마지막 과제는 '단청' - article on website of the 주식회사 연합뉴스, written by 박상현 기자
숭례문 화재 10년…"단청 박락 외에는 큰 이상 없어" - article on website of the 주식회사 연합뉴스, written by 박상현 기자
광화문·서울역·숭례문이 돌아온다 - article on the website of 시정일보, written by 백인숙 기자
숭례문, 100년만의 실험… 단청에 천연안료 칠한다 조선일보 - article on website of the 조선일보, written by 허윤희 기자
보물 1호라는 흥인지문(興仁之門) - article on the website of 한겨레:온, written by 허창무 주주통신원
숭례문 과연 진짜 부실복원일까? - article on website of the 뉴스로, written by 혜문스님
숭례문 단청문제, 왜 일본산 재료를 썼나?? - article on website of the 문화재청, written by 황준호
숭례문(남대문) 단청, '일본산' 아교·안료 사용 논란 - article on the website of 인스티즈, written by 이해진 기자
‘국보1호 원형’ 훼손 부재 재활용에 달렸다 - article on website of the 경향신문, written by 이기환 선임기자
숭례문 복구에 부실 화학안료 쓴 단청장 2심도 실형 - article on website of the 주식회사 연합뉴스, written by 임미나 기자
숭례문 복원에 숨겨진 과학 - article on the website of 사이언스타임즈, written by 이성규 객원편집위원
‘숭례문 현판’ 원래의 모습대로 수리 후 제자리에 걸기로 ! - 지덕사(양녕대군 사당)의 숭례문현판 탁본자료, 진본으로 밝혀져 - article on the website of 문화재청, written by 이정연, 김순관 of the 건축문화재과
일제강점기 문화재 법제 연구 - 「조선보물고적명승천연기념물보존령(1933년)」 제정·시행 관련 - A Study of the Cultural Legislation of Historic Properties during the Japanese Colonial Period - Related to the Establishment and Implementation of the Chosun Treasure Historic Natural Monument Preservation Decree (1933) - article written by 김종수 from the 한국전통문화대학교 전통문화교육원 교육기획과 (Department of Education Plan, Korean National University, Education Institute of Traditional Culture), in: 문화재 (Munhwajae) Korean Journal of Cultural Heritage Studies, Volume 53 Issue 2, Pages.156-179, 2020
금박 올렸다 지웠다… 19세기말 이후 5차례 보수. 숭례문 단청 변천사 - article on website of the 세계일보, written by 김채연 기자
숭례문 단청, 부실 결과…일본산 접착제 때문? - article on website of the 프레스맨, written by 고아라 기자
복구된 지 7년, 숭례문 다시 찾아가 보니… - article on the website of 서울특별시, written by 시민기자 염승화
엉터리 복원 숭례문 단청, 재시공할 전통아교 찾았다 - article on website of the KBS 뉴스, written by 유동엽 기자
조선시대 단청장의 활동과 전승 - article on the website of 문화콘텐츠닷컴 (한국콘텐츠진흥원), written by 만봉스님
崇禮門 (숭례문) - article on website of the 경남매일, written by 송종복 문학박사
감사원이 밝힌 숭례문 복원 공사의 실상(종합) - article on the website of 주식회사 연합뉴스, written by 장예진 기자
사진으로 보는 숭례문 (崇禮門) 600년의 역사 - 그림, 사진 / 인터넷 여행 - article from the 네이버 블로그 (Naver Blog) called "jajuwayo님의 블로그", written by jajuwayo
숭례문 깊이 읽기: 한국의 왜곡된 문화재 순혈주의 - article on the website of the ㅍㅍㅅㅅ(프프스스), written by 필자 Shon
숭례문 복원: 문제는 저질 재료도, 장인의 실력 부족도 아니다 - article on the website of the ㅍㅍㅅㅅ(프프스스), written by 필자 Shon
숭례문 복원, 문화선진국 일본과 이탈리아에서 배울 점 - article on the website of the ㅍㅍㅅㅅ(프프스스), written by 필자 Shon
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