Baekje Cultural Land

In Gyuam-myeon, on the west bank of the Baengma River at Buyeo, red-pillared palaces with bright painted eaves spread across a wide site. Baekje Cultural Land is Korea's largest historical theme park, a full-scale re-creation of the palaces, temples and villages of the Baekje kingdom, which fell in 660. It is not an original site, but walking through it helps you picture what Baekje buildings, now known only from foundation stones, may have looked like.

History: a 17-year reconstruction

The project began in the early 1990s and ran until 2010. Sources give the start as 1993 or 1994, and ground was broken in 1998. The Baekje Historical Museum inside the complex opened first, in 2006, and the whole park welcomed visitors in 2010. It is also one of the venues of the Baekje Cultural Festival, held every year in Gongju and Buyeo.

The reconstruction has its critics. The blue-green painted decoration and white walls used on most buildings were mainly Joseon-era conventions, and the buildings differ greatly from Hōryū-ji in Japan, which was influenced by Baekje architecture. So think of it less as an exact restoration and more as a way to feel the scale and layout of Baekje.

What to see

• Sabi Palace: a re-creation of the royal palace of the Sabi period (538–660), described as the first reconstruction of a Three Kingdoms palace. Its centrepiece is the main hall, Cheonjeongjeon.
• Neungsa Temple and its pagoda: the royal temple built to pray for King Seong, rebuilt at the same size as the remains excavated at Neungsan-ri in Buyeo. Through the middle gate stands the five-storey wooden pagoda, the most striking structure in the park.
• Wiryeseong: a re-creation of Baekje's first capital from the Hanseong period. Pit houses, watchtowers and wooden palisades show a very different, earlier Baekje.
• Living Culture Village and tomb park: houses for each social class, from General Gyebaek's residence to craftsmen and potters. The tomb park has seven stone-chamber tombs from around Buyeo moved here and restored.
• Jehyangnu: the pavilion at the highest point of the site, with a view over the whole complex.
• Baekje Historical Museum: instead of artefacts it uses models and videos of sites such as the Sabi capital and Mireuksa Temple, a quick overview of Baekje history.

Good to know

The scene in the drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo where Hae-su kneels in the rain was filmed at Cheonjeongjeon in Sabi Palace, and the variety show Running Man has filmed here too.

The zones in more detail

• Sabi Palace halls: the central court has the Cheonjeongmun gate and Cheonjeongjeon hall, the east palace Munsajeon and Yeonyeongjeon, and the west palace Mudeokjeon and Indeokjeon, so you can walk through a palace divided into three courts.
• Neungsa buildings: besides the pagoda, the temple has a main Buddha hall, a lecture hall and several side buildings. The pavilion Sugyeongjeong on the temple pond also belongs to Neungsa.
• Who lived in the village: houses are named after Baekje people such as the architect Abiji, said to have built the nine-storey pagoda of Hwangnyongsa, the musician Mimaji, who took music to Japan, and Lady Domi from folk legend.
• Wiryeseong: through the south gate you pass pit houses, raised houses on stilts, a watchtower, homes of nobles and officers and the palace hall Antaejeon.

Activities

Feeding the carp, kite flying and archery are on offer, a welcome break for children on such a large site.

Baekje Historical Museum and the Baekje Cultural Festival

The Baekje Historical Museum has four permanent galleries over a basement and two upper floors. Models recreate King Seong's procession moving the capital to Sabi, the Sabi capital itself, Mireuksa Temple and the Jeongjisan ritual site, while videos present the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner and the Tomb of King Muryeong. Allow about an hour. The Baekje Cultural Festival began as a ceremony in Buyeo in 1955 and is now a joint festival of Gongju and Buyeo, with re-enactments of the move to Sabi and historical processions.

Nearby

• Busosanseong and Nakhwaam: the hill behind the Sabi-period royal fortress on the north side of Buyeo town, about 2 km from the park across the river.
• Jeongnimsa Temple Site: a Sabi-period temple site with its original five-storey stone pagoda, an interesting comparison with Neungsa's wooden one.
• Gungnamji Pond: a pond said to date from Baekje, with a lotus festival in summer.

Tripto tips

• Hours: 09:00–18:00 from March to October (tickets until 17:30) and 09:00–17:00 from November to February (tickets until 16:30). On set dates there is night opening until 22:00; check the website for dates.
• Closed: every Monday, or the following day if Monday is a public holiday.
• Tickets: adults KRW 6,000, teenagers and soldiers KRW 4,500, children KRW 3,000. Under-7s and over-65s enter free, and parking is free.
• Time needed: the site is large, so allow 2–3 hours even for the main areas. There is little shade, so bring a hat and water in summer.