A few weeks ago I visited the Silla and Unified Silla periods capital of Gyeongju. This week I was in the Baekje Kindgom (Sabi Period) capital of Buyeo. The aim of this trip was to visit all of the World Heritage sites within a two-day period, which would have been manageable had it not been for the 36 degree heat and most sites being outdoors. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Buyeo are Gwanbuk-ri and Busosanseong Fortress, the Jeongnimsa Temple site, the Neungsan-ri royal tombs and Naseong city wall. Despite not seeing all sites, it was an interesting trip and I visited other places too. I got to visit the beautiful Gungnamji Pond, the Jeongnimsa Temple site, Jeongnimsari Museum, Buyeo National Museum, Buyeo Royal Tombs Park (Neungsan-ri royal tombs), Neungsan-ri Temple remains and Sunmokjeon Shrine. Buyeo is somewhat different from the Silla ancient city of Gyeongju in terms of its transport links. There is no train station, so taking the bus is a necessity if you do not have a car or are not on an organised visit. It also does not have a tourist specific infrastructure like Gyeongju, but apart from needing to make your own way around sites, that did not have any particular impact on my visit.
The Baekje Kingdom can be divided into three different periods. The Hanseong period (18 BCE to 475 CE), the Ungjin period (475-538 CE) and the Sabi period (538 to 660 CE). It was during the Sabi period that present day Buyeo became the capital and this has resulted in there being a wealth of different sites and objects that allow us to further understand Baekje culture. Almost all sites (except for Buyeo Royal Tombs Park) are within easy walking distance of each other and almost run in a straight line, so you can start at one point and then make your way to the other sites relatively easily. My first visit took me to Gungnamji Pond, which was built in 634 AD and was Korea's earliest man-made pond. The pond and its surrounding gardens are absolutely huge, and are a really nice place for a relaxing stroll. The pond has a central island that houses a pavilion - perfect for sunset pictures. Next was an early morning visit to the Jeongnimsa Temple site where you can see the remains of a temple and a five storey stone pagoda. There is also a small museum right next to the site where you can see some of the smaller artefacts discovered on the site as well as a scale model of the whole temple and learn more about the period with interactive displays. Buyeo National Museum is also a really good place to visit, as it tells the story of early Buyeo, as well as Sabi period Buyeo, and houses donated artefacts of different periods.
Buyeo Royal Tombs Park (which includes the Neungsan-ri royal tombs), Neungsan-ri Temple remains and Sunmokjeon Shrine are located together and these sites are around an hour walk from the main site, but there are also bus and taxi options available. The first site is Sunmokjeon Shrine, which is close to the entrance of Buyeo Royal Tombs Park. The shrine houses the memorial tablets of the Sabi period founder and its six kings. Buyeo Royal Tombs Park lies to the left of the shrine. It is believed that at least some of these tombs belonged to kings, their families and rulers of the Baekje Kingdom. The site also contains a full size replica of a tomb and a small art museum where you can see artworks related to the site, but do note that the museum closes for lunch. If you walk a little further around the site you will come to the Neungsan-ri temple site, which consists of archaeological remains and a really nice glass etched picture frame which shows how the temple would have looked when it was in use. The star of Buyeo National Museum, the gilt-bronze incense burner of Baekje, was found at the Neungsan-ri temple site. Finally, if you look directly across the site, you can see part of Naseong Fortress in the form of a stone wall.
Buyeo was a busy and interesting two days that was unfortunately hampered by the heat, but it was definitely a worthwhile trip and I learned a little more about Baekje Kingdom Korea. Watch this space for details of my return trip.
