- Address: Myeongnyun-dong, Dongrae District, Busan, South Korea
- Date of construction: estimated - I century BC.
- Working hours: from 9:00 to 20:90, Sunday - closed
Tonneipson - the ruins of an ancient fortress in the municipal district of Tanggu of the metropolitan city of Busan . It was built around the 1st century BC, during the Samkhan period. However, officially the fortress is much "younger" - in historical documents it was first mentioned in 1021, when its walls were subjected to restoration.
A bit of history
Tonneipson played an important role in history not only during the early Korean states. During the Japanese invasion, the so-called Imzhin War, which lasted from 1592 to 1598, the fortress was one of the first targets of the enemy's attack along with the fortress of Busanjinson, as it guarded the road to Seoul .
It was here that the famous Battle of Tonnay took place, during which the defenders held back the assault of the Japanese troops for 8 hours, after which the fortress fell, and the entire garrison was carved by the victors.
The Japanese used Tonneipson for some time for their own purposes, and when they left it, they destroyed it. It was restored only in 1713, while the fortress was not only recreated, but also rebuilt: for example, the perimeter of the walls was increased (now its length is 5250 m), additional observation towers were erected above the gates.
In 1910, the citadel was again destroyed by the Japanese, and restored after the war. In 1972, Tonneipson was recognized as an architectural monument and entered into the corresponding registry of the city of Busan.
Fortress today
Today within the walls of the fortress you can see several restored buildings. In addition to the tour, tourists, if they are lucky, can get to one of the traditional events that are held here. For example, within the framework of the historical festival Dongnae Historical Festival you can get acquainted with wedding ceremonies, see a traditional Korean dance performance, visit an exhibition of weapons.
Also on the territory of the fortress, you can see a lot of sculptures devoted to the scientific inventions of Korean scientists for the entire existence of the state.
How to visit Tonneipson?
You can visit the ancient fortress any day, except Sundays; it does not work during the national holidays of South Korea . Since today the fortress is located within Busan, a Korean metropolitan city, it is easily accessible by public transport - buses Nos. 31, 200 and 307.