The Flags and Walls of Gongsanseong Fortress


The flags installed at the north, south, east, and west corners of Gongsanseong Fortress were designed after the murals of the Four Deities found inside Tomb No. 6 in Songsan-ri. The Four Deities are supernatural animals that represent the four directions and the order of the universe. They also signify forces that ward off evil spirits.

The concept or imagery of these deities were first expressed in Korea during the Three Kingdoms Period with the introduction of Chinese culture at that time. The murals of the Four Deities at Songsan-ri are a testament to the vibrant exchanges between Baekje and the Southern Dynasties of China.

Yellow is used for the background color of the flags. It was the color of Baekje, whose people thought highly of yellow as it was considered the quintessential color of the universe. Likewise, the edges of each flag are in the color that represents each animal.

The arrangement of the flags matches that of the murals within Tomb No. 6 in Songsan-ri. Therefore, each of the animals were placed in their respective directions: the Blue Dragon to the east, White Tiger to the west, Red Phoenix to the south, and Black Tortoise to the north.

As for the stone walls, most were built during the Joseon Dynasty, but the lower portions still contain vestiges of the walls built during the Baekje Period. The current state of the fortress shows that earthen ramparts were built during the Baekje Period, and stone ramparts were partially reconstructed afterward. After the downfall of Baekje, the ramparts of Gongsanseong Fortress were repaired and rebuilt using stones, turning the fortress into a stone-walled fortress.