Archaeological Site in Wanggung-ri, Iksan

On a low hill in Wanggung-myeon, Iksan, a single five-storey stone pagoda rises from a wide expanse of grass. Only the pagoda stands today, but this was the site of a royal palace built under King Mu of Baekje (r. 600–641). Its unusual story, a palace that was turned into a temple, earned it a place in the UNESCO World Heritage Baekje Historic Areas in 2015.

History: from palace to temple

The site sits on a low rise at the end of a ridge running down from Yonghwasan. Excavations since 1989 have shown that it was built as a palace in late Baekje and used for some time before its main buildings were taken down and replaced by a temple with a pagoda, a main hall and a lecture hall. It is a key piece of evidence that late Baekje ruled from Iksan as a second centre alongside its capital Sabi (Buyeo).

The palace was enclosed by a long rectangular wall: the eastern and western walls ran for about 490 m, the southern and northern walls for about 240 m. Designated a provincial monument in 1974, it became a national Historic Site in 1998. About two-thirds of the site has been excavated so far, with the rest still to come. In the centre of the palace, the foundations of a large building measuring 35 m east to west and 18.3 m north to south have been found, thought to be the king's main hall.

What to see

• Five-storey Stone Pagoda (National Treasure): the symbol of the site. When it was dismantled and repaired in 1965, reliquaries were found in the first-storey roof stone and the stone supporting its central pillar. Look at the base, which translates the joinery of a wooden pagoda into stone, and the thin, wide roof stones. Octagonal stones serve as pillars at the four corners of the base, and the corners of the roof stones turn up slightly, pierced with holes where wind bells once hung. Scholars disagree on exactly when it was built.
• Palace walls and building sites: the wall lines and foundations found by archaeologists are marked in the grass, so you can walk the full extent of the palace.
• Garden site: in the north of the palace, a rear garden with unusual rocks, river pebbles, a watercourse and a pond has been identified.
• Large toilets: among the earliest ancient toilets found in Korea. They were identified thanks to the large number of parasite eggs in the soil.

Good to know

At the entrance, the Baekje Royal Palace Museum presents the finds with artefacts and models. Seeing it first makes the open site much easier to read. The site is often combined with the Mireuksaji temple site about 5 km away for a day on King Mu's Iksan.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: the site is always open, with free admission and free parking. The museum has its own hours and closing days, so check before you go.
• Guided tours: tours can be booked through the museum. Foreign-language tours need to be arranged in advance by phone (063-859-4799). General enquiries: 063-859-5875.
• When to go: there is almost no shade, so avoid midday in high summer. Evening, with the sun setting behind the pagoda, is especially beautiful.
• Time needed: around 1.5 hours for the museum and the site.