<Osan- Doksanseong Semadaeji>

Doksanseong, Hard-Fought Field in the Joseon Dynasty



At the Semadae three-way intersection in Osan, Gyeonggi-do, turn right and climb a narrow road according to the sign of Doksanseong (Mountain Fortress) Semadaeji, and you will meet the Doksanseong forest bath place, and a road leading up to Bojeoksa (Temple) in opposition to the forest bath place. The Doksanseong is a site where traces remain along the castle wall, and presently there are traces of the castle and four gates

Around when you shed sweats, you will arrive at the peak where you will be able to view the Osan downtown at one sight and also see Dongtan new town.

Doksanseong is a mountain fortress that surrounds Doksan (210 m), where currently only the traces of a castle remain. A castle was built for the purpose of cutting of the intrusion of enemies for a military defense use or as a final fort when a war occurs. Since Doksanseong shoots out in the plain, on it the four directions can be evenly looked around, so that it is advantageous for a strategy. Also Doksanseong was a geographically important pass that cuts off the intrusion into Seoul.

Semadae is the place where General Gwon Yul, who led the sweeping victory at Haengjusanseong during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, won before going to Seoul. Also there is the Bojeoksa for praying a victory within the fortress. Doksanseong, built in the Beakje Dynasty, is the fortress that was used from the Baekje Dynasty, through the Unified Silla Dynasty and the Goryeo Dynasty to the Joseon Dynasty, and that was filled with wills and efforts for saving the country of our ancestors including General Gwon Yul.

After looking around entire Doksanseong, return to the starting place and you will enter the gate of liberation to meet Bojeoksa, and climb on the back road of Bojeoksa, and you will meet Semadae Pavilion on the highest site.

Bojeoksa built for praying a triumph

In the course of the climbing road up to the Bojeoksa, Doksanseong starts along the gate of liberation of Bojeoksa, and Bojeoksa and Saemadae can be looked around. If you pass the gate of liberation that leads to Bojeoksa next to Doksanseong and Saemadaeji Stone, you will meet the Monk’s residence of Bojeoksa, which leads to the yard where you will see a three-story stone pagoda and the main temple. The period of Bojeoksa construction is not certain, and this temple is known to have been built for praying a victory after Doksanseong was built in the Baekje period.
The name of Bojeoksa originates from a story below: In the Baekjae period, an old married couple who had difficulty in having three meals due to the spring famine and finally had only two does of rice, so they decided to present these does of rice to the Buddhist instead of surviving narrowly. When returning to their home after a memorial service, a miracle occurred that a storehouse was filled with rice. Since the temple was said to have an occult power that gave the couple much treasure when the couple performed a memorial service hard, it was named, ‘Bojeoksa’. I dropped by the temple and had cold water to cool myself. Bojeoksa is also called, ‘Semasa (temple)’.

“Let horses stand on the top! Shower rice on them” Saemadae

Semadae within the Doksanseong is a pole built in the highest place that surrounds the castle and here a military command is given. Just as Seojangdae in Suwon Hwaseong, it is the pole of Doksanseong. Since a horse is bathed with rice, this pole was called ‘Saemadae’ whose name was made after the Chinese character ‘se’ of washing and ‘ma’ of a horse. It is famous for a legend that in order to let it known that water is so much abundant as to wash horses in the peak of rough mountains where there is rare water, General Gwon Yul made a feint of washing horses with rice instead of water so that the Japanese military fell back.

The tablet of Semadae was written by President Rhee Syngman in person. Between the thickened trees near the castle, there is a rest place so that people frequent here, and when you sit on Semadae, you can see the eaves of Bojeoksa but Osan downtown is rarely seen due to the thickened forest. If you cannot understand clearly how the Korean forefather escaped from crisis by washing horses, go to the Haengjusanseong Memorial Museum, then you will be able to see the Doksanseong Fighting Picture. How about following a path through which General Gwon Yul crossed Hangang (River) from Doksanseong and led the military to the Haengjusanseong?

In December, 1592, while General Gwon Yul marched and stationed in order to restore Hanseong, his military was besieged by the Japanese military. Then he blocked up four main castle gates not responding, so the Japanese military waited for running out of edible water and food. Accordingly, General Gwon Yul thought up a good idea in the mid of life and death crisis due to shortage of water and performed the psychological military strategy of sprinkling rice on horses to make this scene appear as if to bathe horse with water, and as a result, he paralyzed the attack of the Japanese military. This fight is known as the Saemadae Fight, and Doksanseong is located in the City of Osan, Gyeonggi-do. <Doksanseong Fighting Picture - Haengjusanseong Memorial Museum>.

One day of Gang Tae-gong, Seorangjeosuji (Reservoir)

There is Semadae in the north where General Gwon Yul repelled the Japanese pirates and Seorangjeosuji (Reservoir) located between the Nojeokbong (Peak) in the south is placed quietly at the street corner from which a idle countryside landscape spreads. If a visitor goes straight around 1 km on the road in the south direction and then turns left, he/she will meet this reservoir. This is a pay reservoir managed by the Seorang Land Control Office, and since it is near the metropolitan area, many people visit here. In the upper stream water grass region, early in spring from March to April, carp and large crucian carps start spawning, and until the end of May around when rice-planting finishes, visitor can enjoy sea grass fishing. The fee for a day is KRW 14,000, and if a visitor uses a water seat, he/she should pay KRW 30,000 additionally. There is a reservoir control office in front of the bus stop next to the reservoir. Villages around the reservoir produce countryside sentiments strongly.

Main facility: 8 water seats, restaurant, and booth
Inquiry: 017-211-3063(Jeong Bok-hun), 031-372-3063(control office)
Charge: KRW 14,000 for fishing and KRW 30,000 for a seat
Direction: Suwon → Semadae Samseori → Bojeoksa and Semadaeji → Southern direction → At Seorangjeosuji, turn left

Health seeking food for hot summer, Chogyetang – Pyeongyang Makguksu (noodle)
Jigot-dong, Osan, Gyeonggi-do / Tel: 031-372-9909 (9955)
When you go down after viewing Doksanseong bath field, Bojeoksa, Saemadae, Doksanseong, you may feel hungry. There is a restaurant that was well known for chogyetang. If you go to the south along the direction that you entered, you will meet a forked road toward Seorangjeosuji (Reservoir) and Yongjusa (Temple). Turn right in the direction of Yongjusa, go straight around one to two minutes, and right after passing the Seonnyeo-wa-namutggun on the left, next to it, you will meet the Pyeongyang chogyetang house(평양초계탕집), that is rarely seen hidden by trees. Chogyetang is a cool dish cooked by mixing cold cooked chicken and vegetables, and it is by no means inferior for overcoming summer heat.
If you order Chogyetang, beekgimchi topped with thin ice and chicken from which oil was removed are served. While eating a cucumber chicken mixed with seasoning, Bongpyeong buckwheat fried dish is served, and its taste is very excellent. After eating appetizers, Chogyetang is served. After putting Chogyetang in your own plate and having it, and then put Makguksu (noodle) in remaining broth. The broth where ice, vegetable, mustard sauce, and vinegar are harmonious is cool, and Pyeongyang Makguksu as a dessert is cool enough to make summer heat disappear.
(Pyeongyang Makguksu, Chogyetang / Tel: 031)372-9909
Makguksu: KRW 5,000, Chicken mixed with seasoning: KRW 15,000, Chogyetang for two persons: KRW 20,000, four persons: KRW 36,000)

[Information on Trip]

◆ Direction

Integrated path search: Doksanseong Saemadaeji
Car: National highway No. 1 (direction of Osan) → Suwon → Turn right at the Saemadae crossroad of Osan → Sema-dong office → Doksanseong-ro → Turn right at the milestone for Doksanseong Saemadaeji → At the three forked road → Climb up to the mountain along the middle road → Tower of Yanjae branch office, Namseoul Communication Substation of KT → Parking lot in the Doksanseong Forest Bath Field
Expressway Osan IC – Downtown – Direction of Suwon – Turn left at Saemadae crossroad
Public Transportation
Suwon → Osan: Bus starts every ten minutes at Suwon Intercity Bus Terminal
Terminal → Doksanseong Forest Bath Field: First bus 07: 00 (every one hour)
Suwon → Osan: Suwon Station bus No. 301, Nammun, 20, and Dongsuwon, 300

◆ Nearby Tourist Attractions: Mulhyanggi Arboretum, Gweolrisa (Temple), Suwon Hwaseong, Yongjusa (Temple), Yunggyeonreung (Tomb), Doksanseong Forest Bath Field

◆ Restaurant: Pyeongyang Chogyetang (031-372-9909(9955)), Seorak Chueotang (031-375-3773)