Stele of Bongseon Honggyeongsa Temple

Out in the fields of Seonghwan near Cheonan, a lone stele stands on the back of a stone turtle. It records the founding of Bongseon Honggyeongsa, a temple built by King Hyeonjong of Goryeo, and it is a National Treasure. The temple vanished long ago, but the stele has stood on this spot since 1026. It lies about 3 km north of Seonghwan Station on the Gyeongbu Line, so it makes an easy stop if you are passing between Cheonan and Pyeongtaek.

A temple and an inn on a bandit-ridden road

In the Goryeo period this was a key north–south route, but thick reed beds made it a haunt of bandits. King Hyeonjong ordered the monk Hyeonggeung to build a temple here, and the minister of war Gang Min-cheom oversaw the work from 1016 to 1021, raising a complex of some 200 bays. West of the temple stood Gwangyeon Tonghwawon, an 80-bay lodge that gave travellers food and fodder for their horses. In effect it was a temple and a state-run rest stop in one.

The word "Bongseon", meaning "honouring one's forebear", has its own story. Hyeonjong's father, Anjong, had hoped to build the temple but died before he could, so his son completed it in his name. By the early Joseon period the temple was gone, and only the lodge and the stele remained, known locally as Honggyeongwon.

What to look for on the stele

A "galbi" is normally a small stele with a rounded top and no capstone, but this one has both a turtle base and a carved capstone, just like a full-size monument.

• A turtle with a dragon's head: the head of the base has become a dragon, turned slightly to the right, with fin-like wings carved on either side.
• A horizontal title: across the top of the front face runs the title "Bongseon Honggyeongsa Galgi".
• Dragons in the clouds: the capstone is carved with dragons wrapped in clouds.
• Choe Chung's text: the inscription was composed by Choe Chung, the great Goryeo Confucian scholar nicknamed "the Confucius of the East", and written by Baek Hyeon-rye in 2.4 cm regular script.

It was designated a National Treasure in 1962 and is regarded as one of the best-preserved Goryeo temple steles.

The author, Choe Chung

Choe Chung, who wrote the inscription, retired from office under King Munjong and opened the Gujae Hakdang, a private academy in the Goryeo capital that trained a great many students, which is how he earned the nickname "the Confucius of the East". With a text by the leading writer of the day, composed on royal orders, and characters 2.4 cm high cut with great precision, the stele is also important for the study of Goryeo inscriptions and calligraphy. Its front border is carved with a scrolling vine band, and both sides with stylised flowers, so walk round to look at the sides too. The cloud pattern on the capstone is stylised into shapes like tall peaks, typical of early Goryeo stele decoration.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: there is only the stele to see, so 20–30 minutes is enough. Take a close look at the turtle's head and the carved sides.
• Best time: the field has little shade, so early morning or late afternoon is more comfortable than midday in summer.
• Getting there: the address is 319-8 Daehong-ri, Seonghwan-eup, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan. It is a short taxi ride from Seonghwan Station, served by Seoul Subway Line 1 and Gyeongbu Line trains, and by car you can stop briefly near the stele.