Ryongwang Pavilion is a scenic overlook located in the central district

Chung-guyok

Chung-guyŏk is one of the 19 guyok which constitutes the city of Pyongyang, North Korea. The district is located in the center of the city, between the Potong and Taedong Rivers, and is bordered to the north by Moranbong-guyok, to the northwest by Potonggang-guyok, and to the south by...

 of Pyongyang

Pyongyang

Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...

, North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

. Located on the bank of the Taedong River

Taedong River

The Taedong River is a large river in North Korea. It rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north. It then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o. In between, it runs through the country's capital, Pyongyang. Along the river are landmarks such as the Juche Tower and Kim Il-sung...

, the pavilion was first constructed during the Goguryeo

Goguryeo

Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....

 dynasty as "Sansu Pavilion", and was part of the defenses of the walled city of Pyongyang (along with the nearby Taedong Gate and Pyongyang Bell. It is labeled as National Treasure #16

National treasures of North Korea

Designated national treasures of North Korea are tangible artifacts, sites, and buildings deemed to have significant historical or artistic value.-No. 1-50:-No. 51-100:-No. 101-150:-No...

 in North Korea.

History

The pavilion first gained fame after Pyongyang was captured during Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...

's invasions of Korea in the 16th century; under the orders of General Kim Eung-seo, a kisaeng

Kisaeng

Kisaeng , sometimes called ginyeo , were female Korean official prostitute or entertainers. Kisaeng are artists who work to entertain others, such as the yangbans and kings....

 named Gye Wolhyang seduced and drugged the Japanese commander of Pyongyang, Konishi Hidanokami, in the pavilion. She then led General Kim to the sleeping commander, where he beheaded him; though Kim escaped, Kye was later executed for her role in the plot. Kim Ung So later returned to liberate Pyongyang in 1593 with the help of the Ming Chinese Army

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

, and built a shrine to Wolhyang next to the pavilion (the district in Moranbong-guyok

Moranbong-guyok

Moranbong-guyŏk, or the Moranbong District, is one of the 19 guyŏk which constitute the city of Pyongyang, North Korea. It is located north of Chung-guyok, the city's central district, and is bordered to the north by Sosong and Taesong-guyoks, to the east by the Taedong River, and the west by the...

 where she lived was also named after her).

The pavilion was converted into a scenic overlook under the Koryo

Goryeo

The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...

 dynasty, and was became a popular subject with poets and artists alike; A famous story relates how the Koryo-dynasty poet Kim Hwang Won broke his brush and wept after being unable find words to express the beauty of the view. The pavilion was later reconstructed under the Joseon

Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...

 dynasty and rechristened as "Ryongwang" pavilion because of its commanding views over the Taedong. In 1835, the small wooden shrine to Kye Wolhyang was replaced with a granite marker praising her patriotism.

Though severely damaged during the U.S. bombings of Pyongyang during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

, the pavilion was restored shortly after.