Goryeo Dynasty
The Goryeo Dynasty was founded in 918 CE by Wang Geon following various power struggles that had led to the weakening of the Silla Kingdom and the establishment of other kingdoms. In 935 CE, Unified Silla became part of Goryeo and a year later the Later Baekje Kingdom followed. At this time the country became unified with the city of Gaegyeong, in today’s North Korea, as the capital. Gaegyeong was an international city with many foreigners. Nearby waterways meant that trade flourished and expanded to include other areas of Asia and India. Goryeo was a place where many different ideas coexisted together, and the practice of Buddhism was still widespread. Relatively little is known of the Goryeo Dynasty because much of the evidence relating to its activities is located in North Korea. What is known is that the origin of the present-day name of Korea can be traced back to the name Goryeo. The first civil service exam took place during this period also. In terms of physical remnants, the Goryeo Dynasty had the most advanced printing techniques in Asia, in the form of metal movable type. Celadon ceramics also date to this period. Celadon is a beautiful green glazed ceramic style that is produced in various forms such as boxes, oil bottles, incense burners, ewers, plum bottles, cups and saucers. Probably the most famous remnant of the Goryeo Dynasty is the Tripitaka Koreana, the most complete set of Buddhist texts in existence. These texts were engraved on 80,000 woodblocks that were in turn used to print Buddhist scriptures. The woodblocks can be found at Haeinsa Temple on Mount Gaya. The temple, the woodblocks and the buildings which house the woodblocks were inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995. The demise of the Goryeo Dynasty came in 1392 CE following a coup that led to the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty.
References/Further Reading
Korea.net (n.d.) Goryeo Dynasty. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Myeonghee, J. (2019) Goryeo: The Glory of Korea. National Museum of Korea Magazine. National Museum of Korea. Volume 46. Winter 2019. Pages 2-9.
Park, J. (2019) Yi Gyubo, Espousing the Beauty of Goryeo Celadon. National Museum of Korea Magazine. National Museum of Korea. Volume 46. Winter 2019. Pages 10-11.
UNESCO (1995) Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks. UNESCO World Heritage Centre 1992-1995.