Bidding Farewell to Yi Chungmugong

Namhae Bridge connects Noryang-ri in Hadong-gun with Noryang-ri in Namhae-gun. Noryang was the sea of battle where Admiral Yi Sun-sin fought his final naval engagement, ending the seven-year Imjin War — and the sea where he gave his life for the nation. Just across Namhae Bridge stand Chungnyeolsa Shrine, which enshrines Admiral Yi Sun-sin's memorial tablet, and the Yi Chungmugong Historic Site overlooking the waters off Gwaneumpo, where the admiral was struck by a stray bullet and died. At the Yi Sun-sin Video Hall, visitors can experience the grandeur of the naval battle in 3D.

Along the way

1. 1

   Namhae Bridge

   남해대교

   The fourth-largest island in Korea after Jeju-do, Geoje-do, and Jindo. Before the Changseon-Samcheonpo Bridge opened, the gateway to Namhae was Namhae Bridge, once called the largest suspension bridge in East Asia.\nNamhae Bridge is a beautiful suspension bridge 660m long and 52m high. Even now, more than 30 years after its opening in 1973, it is still considered one of the most beautiful bridges in Korea.\nThe strong currents of the Noryang Strait, which Namhae Bridge spans, are a living witness to the history of Namhae — a stage of history in its own right. It was where the Battle of Noryang, the final battle of the Imjin War, began, and it was also the sorrowful crossing point where countless exiles from the Goryeo through Joseon periods boarded ferries to reach their places of banishment. Before the bridge was built, people of Namhae had to cross the swift waters of Noryang by ferry, but for the past 30 years a car can cross in one or two minutes. Once you cross Namhae Bridge, connecting Namhae to the mainland, a tunnel of cherry blossoms welcomes you. In spring, the spectacular tunnel of blossoms blocks out the sky.\nMoreLess

   

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2. 2

   Chungnyeolsa Shrine and the Turtle Ship

   충렬사와 거북선

   The most notable feature of Namhae Chungnyeolsa Shrine is that it still preserves the empty grave where Admiral Yi Sun-sin's remains rested for three months. After Chungmugong passed away on November 19, 1598, his remains were laid to rest at the site of Chungnyeolsa before being transported via Gogeumdo in Jeolla Province to his hometown of Asan, where they were finally buried at Hyeonchungsa Shrine. The history of Chungnyeolsa began in 1633, 34 years after the admiral's death, when a single-bay thatched shrine was built to hold memorial rites. \n* Turtle Ship\nCrossing Namhae Bridge and passing through the cherry blossom tunnel down to Noryang Village, you find Chungnyeolsa Shrine, where Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin's body was briefly enshrined after he died in battle at Gwaneumpo, and a full-scale replica of a turtle ship floating in the sea just offshore. The turtle ship floating in the waters of Noryang in front of Chungnyeolsa was restored to its original size some 20 years ago based on research by scholars including Lee Hui-seung. It was moved to Namhae from the Jinhae Naval Academy in December 1999. Inside, various weapons — including cheonja, jija, and hyeonja cannons — along with models recreating the scene of the time are on display, making it a valuable site for experiencing history firsthand.\nMoreLess

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3. 3

   Namhae Gwaneumpo Yi Chungmugong Historic Site

   남해 관음포 이충무공 유적

   Traveling 4km from Namhae Bridge toward the center of the island brings you to the Gwaneumpo Yi Chungmugong Historic Site, Historic Site No. 232. Also known as 'Iraksa,' this is the spot where the remains of Admiral Yi Sun-sin — who led the Korean forces to victory at the Battle of Noryang before dying in the fighting — first reached land. In the front yard of Iraksa stands a memorial stone commemorating the 400th anniversary of Chungmugong's death, rising toward the sky as if bearing witness to history.\n234 years after Chungmugong's death, in 1832, Yi Hang-gwon, an eighth-generation descendant of Yi Sun-sin and a naval commander, erected a memorial stone (187cm tall, 75.5cm wide, 22cm thick) honoring Chungmugong's utmost loyalty and devotion to the nation. Designated Historic Site No. 232 in June 1973, it came to be known as the 'Gwaneumpo Yi Chungmugong Historic Site.'\nMoreLess

   

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4. 4

   Lunch (Busan Sashimi Restaurant)

   점심식사(부산횟집)

   A sashimi restaurant located in Noryang-ri whose owner proudly claims it serves the best spicy fish stew in the area. With plenty of seating, it comfortably accommodates group visitors, and the quality and taste of its sashimi are just as impressive.\nAnyone wishing to enjoy fresh, delicious sashimi in Namhae-gun should consider stopping by. Enjoying a plate of sashimi and then touring nearby Chungnyeolsa Shrine and the Yi Chungmugong Historic Site can make for a fine historical excursion. Namhae Bridge, the gateway to Namhae, is directly in view, and the turtle ship floating on the blue waves offshore is a site of historic significance — together with Chungnyeolsa, it becomes a place to learn history. Chungnyeolsa is where Admiral Yi Sun-sin's remains were enshrined for three months after he died in the Battle of Noryang, before being transported to Asan. The area is also famous for its cherry blossom festival when the blossoms are in full bloom each spring.\nMoreLess

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5. 5

   Hwabangsa Temple

   화방사

   Hwabangsa Temple on Mangunsan Mountain, where the one-stroke calligraphy of master calligrapher Kim Eung-hyeon spans the ilju-mun gate with the message to devote oneself wholeheartedly to practice, is a place for those seeking life's truths, true to the meaning of its Chaejillu pavilion's name. Hwabangsa, where the wooden memorial tablet of Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin — destroyed by fire in 1981 and later restored — is enshrined, is a temple dedicated to protecting the nation, where memorial rites were held for Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin and the soldiers who died for their country during the Imjin War. Around Hwabangsa, which retains its complete set of dharma hall furnishings, is a natural habitat of the Sandak tree (Wikstroemia trichotoma), a natural monument, making it a fine place for learning.\nMoreLess

   

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