Enjoy deep Korea in rural areas. A trip to Baekje, Buyeo, Buyeo, and Gongju (Part 5) Experience the scenery and traditions seen by the people of Baekje x the latest Hanok-Travel Watch

Dive into the inside of the tumulus and enter, get drunk with technical skills and romance

The city of Gongju, which I visited at the end of the press tour, is 940 km ² in size and has a population of about 130,000. About 2 hours by bus from Seoul. In 475, King Munju of Baekje moved from the present Seoul (Hanseong) to Gongju (Ungjin), and it is the place where the capital was located for 64 years. It is an indispensable area for talking about Baekje culture, such as "Gongju Castle" and "Songsanri Tombs", which have been registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

If you visit Gongju City, the Songsanri Tombs is one of the must-visit spots. There are tombs of kings and queens of the Baekje era, and you can see a total of seven burial mounds, including the burial mounds of King Muryeong and burial mounds 1-6. Before going to the Kofungun, let's first learn about the structure and burial items at the Songsanri Tombs Model Museum.

You can rest assured that Japanese is also written on the explanation board. Here, you can enter a model that reproduces the interior of Mounds 5 and 6, and King Muryeong, and you can feel the high level of technical skill and its commitment up close. The entrance to each burial mound is small, and you can't enter it unless you bend down on the entourage. However, as soon as I entered the entrance room, the space expanded and I was surprised at the calm atmosphere.

After passing through the entrance, first go to "Songshanri Tombs Model Museum". Mound No. 5 is a horizontal hole type stone chamber mound.White lime looks like a pattern inside the entourage (passage) so that you can enter it later.

The white part of the wall of the dome-shaped side-hole type stone chamber burial mound No. 5 with crushed stones stands out when you enter inside. This is because lime is used to attach the stones. The feature is that there is a passage for the couple to bury. Then to Mound No. 6. There are only two brick burial mounds in Korea, and the walls of the stone chamber are painted with the four gods, the blue dragon, the white tiger, the suzaku, and the genbu. Also, the bricks have a pattern of five coins of money at that time, so let's take a look at the details.

Mound No. 6 of the brick burial mound. Inside, it seems that one person was buried instead of a couple. The walls are lined with patterns that resemble money. There is also an oil pan.Also pay attention to the four gods

Then, to the model of the 25th King of Baekje, Muryeongwangneung, whose burial person is known. At the time of discovery, the rectangular brick burial mound was not grave robbed, and 108 types and 4600 items were excavated. The size of the entrance room is 4.2m in length, 2.7m in width and 3.1m in height, which are quite large. The length of the entourage is 2.9m, and the place where the casket is placed goes up one step and becomes like a front door.

The interior is made of 28 types of bricks, which are auspicious numbers, and the ceiling, walls, and floor are waterproofed with lime. If you look closely at the bricks, it is also interesting that you can see where the letters such as middle and courier are engraved and placed. The lotus pattern is engraved on the bricks and the beauty is exceptional.

In the separate room, the state at the time of discovery is reproduced, and it is possible to see that it was a grave beast that protects the grave of the king, a grave magazine stone that is the identification card of the buried king, and a south pillow. In addition, one tooth that seems to be wisdom tooth of the queen who was buried together was also found, and it is known by analysis that she was about 30 years old.

Muryeongwangneung Mausoleum is larger than Mounds No. 5 and No. 6 from the entourage, and the interior is made of brick. There is a lantern, and a lotus flower is engraved on the wall that seems to have illuminated the inside with a lamp. In addition, there is also an area that reproduces the situation at the time of discovery with letters indicating places such as the middle.The found relics are on display at the "Gongju National Museum"

After learning about the structure of the tumulus, it's finally time to go to the Songsanri Tombs. It was actually accessible until 1997, but now it is not accessible due to preservation. You can see its size from the outside. The magnificence of the tumuli that appear in the mountains about a 5-minute walk from the model building is exceptional. There is also a romance that the mountain behind, which was thought to be the mountain that protects Mounds 5 and 6, is actually Muryeongwangneung Mausoleum.

When you climb the slope, you will see Mounds No. 5, No. 6, and Muryeongwangneung Mausoleum.The Muryeongwangneung Mausoleum, which has four burial mounds in the back, can be used as a walking course, with a panoramic view of Gongju City, which is currently not open to the public for preservation.

Songsanri Tombs

Location: 37-2 Wangling Road, Gongju City TEL: +82 (0) 41-856-3151 (Muryeongwangneung Tourist Information Center) Admission fee: Adults: 1500 won (about 150 yen, 1 won = about 0.1 yen conversion) ), Youth 1000 won (about 100 yen) Opening hours: 9:00 to 18:00

Many beautiful burial items and excavated items can be seen at the "Gongju National Museum", which is a 5-minute walk from the "Songshanri Tombs". Until December 4, 2016, national treasures were brought together at the special exhibition "Buning". You can enjoy it more by keeping in mind the types and arrangement of burial items at the model building.

The highlights are the ornaments designated as national treasures. The king's "golden crown" is a decorative item that can be attached to the left, right, or front and back of the cap. Mr. Huang, 92 years old, explained, "It is made of 99% pure gold, has more than 260 circular flames, and makes a sound every time it moves. It symbolizes victory and abundance. I also want you to pay attention to the cuteness of the modeling with flowers and flames as motifs. " The Queen's "Golden Crown" was also on display, but this one is very simple. However, it is a decoration that is full of elegance and you can feel the glory of Baekje.

The "Golden Crown" (King) has a beautiful palmette with a lotus motif. The "Golden Crown" (Queen) has a simple yet elegant exhibition stand, which is color-coded with blue for the king and red for the queen. Because it is, it is easy to understand which one

Don't miss the exhibits of the actual bricks, tomb beasts, and tomb magazine stones used in Muryeongwangneung. You can clearly see the length of the bricks on the wall side where the lotus text and the inside are engraved, the size of the grave beast and the loveliness of the expression, as well as the text engraved on the grave magazine stone, and traveled for a while. To the feeling of being.

In addition, a wooden coffin that shows the relationship between Japan and Baekje is also exhibited. It is made of "Takano Maki" that grows naturally in the southern part of Japan, and it is also planted at the entrance of the museum, so let's take a look. There is also a booth where burial items are displayed in the arrangement at the time of excavation, so take plenty of time to burn the exhibits into your eyes.

The chubby form is cute, but the bricks that form the stone burial mound, which is an excellent grave beast that protected the tomb without being stolen, are inscribed when King Wu Ning died and was buried. Characters and lotus flowers are engraved, and the length is also considerable. The lamp excavated from the lamp is reproduced. The king is blue. The wooden coffin, which shows the relationship between the queen and Japan reproduced by Red Takano Maki, was also explained by the national treasure "Gold earrings" and "Tarisaku" silver Ryubun sciadopity fan. From the details of the excavated items, the exterior of the "Gongju National Museum", a special exhibition of items related to King Muryeong, who enthusiastically talked about the friendship between Japan and Baekje at that time. The teacher sent me off.Maki Takano is growing up beside the entrance.

Gongju National Museum

Location: Gongju City Tourist Complex Road 34 (Kumazu-dong 360) TEL: +82 (0) 41-850-6300 Admission: Free Opening hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (Tuesday to Friday), 9:00 to 19:00 (Saturday) , Sundays, Holidays), Closed on Mondays Website: Gongju National Museum