Talk I: Élisabeth CHABANOL
28 APRIL 25
IHP-EFEO Talk
Speaker：
Prof. Élisabeth Chabanol
Associate Professor & Head, Seoul Center
French School of Asian Studies (EFEO)
Title：
Koryŏ (918-1392) and its Two Main Capitals: Kaesong (918-1232, 1270-1392) and Kanghwa (1232-1270)
Host :
Prof. Lin Sheng-chih
Research Fellow and Deputy Director
Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
&
Prof. Frank MUYARD
Head, EFEO Taipei Center
Date：
April 28 (Monday), 15:00
Venue：
Conference Room 703, Research Building, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
Abstract:
The city of Kaesong 開城 is located to the north of the DMZ that separates the two Koreas, 8km to the west of P’anmunjŏm village and 160km south of the capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK. The site has the rivers Yesong and Imjin to the south/south-west and the Western Sea (or Yellow Sea) to the west. In 918, when Wang Kŏn 王建 (r. 918–943) unified the Korean Peninsula, he chose this site in the center of the peninsula as the capital of his kingdom, Koryŏ 高麗. This brilliant capital, then called Kaegyŏng 開京, was much admired by neighboring countries, as described by the Chinese envoy Xu Jing, who visited in 1123. But the Mongol invasion of 1231 was a real shock for the Korean government. Not only were the border fortresses swiftly overrun, the Koryŏ army itself was crushed on the battlefield. Mongol units heading south crossed the Yesŏng river, west of Kaegyŏng, and began to surround the Koryŏ capital, while vanguards advanced to the South. The trauma was so great that Ch'oe U 崔瑀 (1166–1249), the military leader who ruled the kingdom, decided to transfer the capital from Kaegyŏng to the island of Kanghwa-to 江華島, close to the mainland. In the seventh month of 1232, the transfer was completed and a new capital founded under the name of Kangdo 江都. According to most documents, the new capital was very similar to Kaegyŏng, albeit smaller. In the course of this lecture, we will show an overview of the sites of these two main Koryŏ capitals now located on either side of the 38th parallel, and of Mongol resistance capitals Chin-to, Cheju-do and Namhae-do.
Organized by the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica & the EFEO Taipei Center
※ The talk will be given in English. Registration is not required
lecture
Speaker：
Prof. Élisabeth Chabanol
Associate Professor & Head, Seoul Center
French School of Asian Studies (EFEO)
Title：
Koryŏ (918-1392) and its Two Main Capitals: Kaesong (918-1232, 1270-1392) and Kanghwa (1232-1270)
Host :
Prof. Lin Sheng-chih
Research Fellow and Deputy Director
Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
&
Prof. Frank MUYARD
Head, EFEO Taipei Center
Date：
April 28 (Monday), 15:00
Venue：
Conference Room 703, Research Building, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
Abstract:
The city of Kaesong 開城 is located to the north of the DMZ that separates the two Koreas, 8km to the west of P’anmunjŏm village and 160km south of the capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK. The site has the rivers Yesong and Imjin to the south/south-west and the Western Sea (or Yellow Sea) to the west. In 918, when Wang Kŏn 王建 (r. 918–943) unified the Korean Peninsula, he chose this site in the center of the peninsula as the capital of his kingdom, Koryŏ 高麗. This brilliant capital, then called Kaegyŏng 開京, was much admired by neighboring countries, as described by the Chinese envoy Xu Jing, who visited in 1123. But the Mongol invasion of 1231 was a real shock for the Korean government. Not only were the border fortresses swiftly overrun, the Koryŏ army itself was crushed on the battlefield. Mongol units heading south crossed the Yesŏng river, west of Kaegyŏng, and began to surround the Koryŏ capital, while vanguards advanced to the South. The trauma was so great that Ch'oe U 崔瑀 (1166–1249), the military leader who ruled the kingdom, decided to transfer the capital from Kaegyŏng to the island of Kanghwa-to 江華島, close to the mainland. In the seventh month of 1232, the transfer was completed and a new capital founded under the name of Kangdo 江都. According to most documents, the new capital was very similar to Kaegyŏng, albeit smaller. In the course of this lecture, we will show an overview of the sites of these two main Koryŏ capitals now located on either side of the 38th parallel, and of Mongol resistance capitals Chin-to, Cheju-do and Namhae-do.
Organized by the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica & the EFEO Taipei Center
※ The talk will be given in English. Registration is not required
lecture