Nonsan (논산)
For such a small town in Cheungcheong Province, Nonsan was nonetheless the scene of some pretty big history. Near the end of Korea’s Three Kingdoms Period, when the Kingdom of Baekje was being invaded by a combined force of Silla and Tang Chinese troops, the narrow passes around Nonsan is where the climactic final showdown took place in 660 A.D. About to be caught in a pincers attack from east and west, the King of Baekje sent his most talented general to the east with 5,000 of his best men in an attempt to hold off the eastern thrust from Silla. General Gyebaek, knowing he was embarking on a suicide mission, killed his family before departing lest they fall into enemy hands, then deployed his men in the forested hills northeast of Nonsan. There, at the Battle of Hwangsanbeol his small army won four successive battles against 50,000 Silla troops before finally losing the fifth. The general died on the field that day with his men. The Baekje capital of Sabi fell soon thereafter to the combined weight of the allied assault, the royal family taken captive.
General Gyebaek’s Shrine and Tomb
General Gyebaek’s shrine.
The final resting place of Baekje’s most famous military leader, General Gyebaek.
General Gyebaek’s statue, overlooking both the museum and shrine, appears suitably heroic!
Baekje Military Museum
The only museum in Korea dedicated to Baekje military exploits is located in the middle of the Hwangsanbeol battlefield, in Nonsan. Small, and recently refurbished, the museum nonetheless displays a number of artifacts, maps, and displays related to Korea’s Three Kingdoms Period. The renovation seems to have been largely aimed at younger visitors as there is now a fairly impressive interactive set of displays for children in one whole wing of the museum. General Gyebaek’s shrine and tomb are located adjacent to the museum.
The museum is an impressive edifice, and surrounded by beautiful scenery north of the Tabjeong Reservoir.
The refurbishments include an impressive wrap-around video room and presentation that brings the story of the Battle of Hwangsanbeol to life.
Campaign map of the Battle of Hwangsanbeol. Really a series of four successive engagements, the fall of General Gyebaek and his hopelessly outnumbered force meant the fall of Baekje soon thereafter.
Donamseoweon Neo-Confucian Academy
Established in 1634, this Neo-Confucian academy at Nonsan produced scholars and government officials for nearly 250 years.