Naju National Museum

Across the fields of Bannam-myeon in Naju rise great burial mounds of the rulers who held this land during the Three Kingdoms period. Naju National Museum stands close to these Bannam tomb clusters, and it is the place to see the huge jar-coffin burials that developed only in the Yeongsan River basin, together with the gilt-bronze crown from Sinchon-ri Tomb No. 9, a National Treasure. The permanent exhibition is free.

A museum for the ancient Yeongsan River culture

An affiliate of the National Museum of Korea, the museum opened on 22 November 2013. The site covers some 74,000 m², the building has a floor area of about 11,000 m² on one basement and two upper floors, and its exterior design was inspired by the region's burial jars. Besides exhibiting finds from the Yeongsan River basin, it serves as a storage facility for archaeological heritage excavated across the Honam region, and from the start its storerooms were designed so that visitors can look inside.

The Sinchon-ri, Deoksan-ri and Daean-ri tomb clusters, all designated historic sites, are scattered around Bannam-myeon. Their low, hill-like mounds rolling across the fields make it easy to picture where the objects in the galleries came from.

Jar coffins and a gilt-bronze crown

• Jar coffins (ongwan): two jars about as tall as an adult were placed mouth to mouth to form a coffin, and several of them could be buried in a single mound. Large jar-coffin tombs like these are a burial tradition found only in the Yeongsan River basin, and in the galleries you can see up close how the jars fitted together.
• The Sinchon-ri Tomb No. 9 crown: it was unearthed in 1917, during a survey by the Japanese colonial government, together with gilt-bronze shoes and other prestige objects of the ruling class. Designated a National Treasure in 1997, it is now on display here. Its plant-like upright ornaments are unusual, and who wore it remains a subject of research.

The galleries

• Permanent Exhibition Hall (1F): the Tomb Culture Hall presents the tombs of the Yeongsan River basin and their finds, while the History and Culture Hall covers the wider history of Naju.
• Immersive Content Hall: large-scale video projections recreate the tombs and an ancient village. It runs on its own schedule.
• Open storage and archaeology room (B1): see objects kept in storage through glass, and examine rock samples with a magnifying glass.
• Children's Museum (B1): opened on 27 March 2026 and set in a Mahan village, it explains daily life and tomb culture in Mahan, the confederacy of chiefdoms that ruled this area, through digital and hands-on activities.

Tripto tips

• Hours: 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:30. Closed on Mondays, 1 January and on Seollal and Chuseok days; closing days can shift around substitute public holidays.
• Admission: the permanent exhibition is free; special exhibitions may charge a fee.
• Time needed: 1–1.5 hours for the galleries, about 2.5 hours if you also walk around the nearby tombs. There is almost no shade among the mounds, so bring a hat and water in summer.
• Getting there: from the platform at Naju Station (KTX and SRT), take bus 101, about 40 minutes; a taxi covers the roughly 14 km in about 20 minutes. From Yeongsanpo Bus Terminal, take bus 101 (about 35 minutes) or Yeongam Transport buses 111 and 113.
• Groups and children: group visits to the Children's Museum must be booked in advance. Call +82-61-330-7800 for information.