Wikipedia
Namdaemun (, South Great Gate), officially known as the Sungnyemun (, Gate of Exalted Ceremonies), is one of the Eight Gates in the Fortress Wall of Seoul, South Korea, which surrounded the city in the Joseon dynasty. The gate is located in Jung-gu between Seoul Station and Seoul Plaza, with the historic 24-hour Namdaemun market next to the gate.
The gate, dating back to the 14th century, is a historic pagoda-style gateway, and is designated as the first National Treasure of South Korea. It was once one of the three major gateways through Seoul's city walls which had a stone circuit of and stood up to high. It was first built in the last year of King Taejo of Joseon's reign in 1398, and rebuilt in 1447.
In 2008, the wooden pagoda atop the gate was severely damaged by arson. Restoration work on the gateway started in February 2010 and was completed on 29 April 2013. The gate was reopened on 4 May 2013.
Namdaemun is Korean for "South Grand Gate" and may refer to:
The Kaesong Namdaemun is the south gate of the old walled city of Kaesong, North Korea. Constructed between 1391 and 1393, it is the only one of the original seven citadel gates to survive mostly intact into the present. Started at the end of the Koryo period in 1391, it was completed three years later under the succeeding Joseon dynasty. It features a stone base topped by a wooden pavilion; however, the pavilion seen today is a 1954 reconstruction as the original was destroyed in 1950 by American bombing during the Korean War. The gate houses the Yŏnbok Bell , cast in 1346 and weighing 14 tonnes. Recovered from Yŏnbok Temple when it was destroyed by fire in 1563, the bell was used to call out the hours until the early 20th century.
The gate is one of the National treasures of North Korea.