Chungcheongnam-do

Formerly known as 'Sabi', the old capital of Baekje, Buyeo is a renowned cultural tourist city rich in the relics and artifacts from the Baekje Era and gorgeous natural elements. Having the great ambition to revive the nation, King Seongwang, the 26th ruler of Baekje, moved the capital to 'Sabi' for its beautiful nature and abundant resources. It had watched the nation grow further and carry out active diplomatic activities for 123 years since then. Buyeo burst into bloom with its wonderful ancient culture. The Geumgang River slowly flows from east to south making waves and the soil is fertile, which made Buyeo the earliest candidate for settlement. Today you can feel the history and breath of Baekje at every step you take in the city.

Mt. Buso with a sad history of Baekje
Welcoming the tourists to Buyeo prior to all other attractions, Mt. Buso rises above and wanders around the Baekma River. Sitting around the town of Buyeo, the mountain is estimated to have held the palace from the Sabi Baekje period as the ideal spot to safeguard against the enemies. It's now one of the symbols of Buyeo.
The Buso Mountain Fortress tells the saddest story of Baekje, and the story begins with the Nakhwaam, which is a huge rock on the cliff west of Mt. Buso. During the rule of King Uija(641~660) of Baekje, the allies of Shilla and the Ting Dynasty made their way to the fortress. Foreseeing what would be their destiny, the court ladies covered their heads with their long skirts and threw themselves into the deep water running down there. Seeing them falling from the cliff to save their honor, people thought of flowers falling down and started to call the rock Nakhwaam, meaning the rock of falling flowers.
Mt. Buso is scattered with other cultural relics including Goran Buddhist Temple where the kings enjoyed the Goran mineral water, Samchung Buddhist Temple that pays a tribute to the three loyal subjects in the late Baekje, and Yeongilu where the kings and royal families enjoyed the sunrise. The Buso Mountain Fortress is rich in the Baekje history. As time went by, many of the historical structures went down. Now the fortress is surrounded by many trees. A two-hour travel around the mountain makes one of the best tourist activities in Buyeo.

The ultimate beauty of stone pagodas, the Five-Story Stone Pagoda of Jeongrimsaji
Walking down the fortress for five minutes, you will see Jeongrimsaji, which is the site of a Buddhist temple built during the Baekje period. The site is in the typical format of a Buddhist temple with the pond, inner gate, pagoda, main hall, and auditorium standing in a straight line.
After passing downtown where the Jeongrimsaji and Five-Story Stone Pagoda are, you will see the Gungnamji heading south towards the Baekma River.
Gungnamji is made of the water supplied through the 10-meter route. Around the pond stand the willows. There is a small island in the middle of the pond where Taoist hermits may live in the small pavilion. It's the oldest artificial pond in Korea having been built 40 years earlier than the Anapji of Shilla. The nicely restored pond is one of Buyeo's tourist attractions that they never miss.

A trip to the aspects of Baekje culture, Buyeo National Museum and Baekje Historical Museum
If you wish to relive the Baekje period and its glorious ancient culture, you must visit the Buyeo National Museum. It holds around 10,000 artifacts excavated from its historical sites including some national treasures such as the Big Baekje Golden and Bronze Incense Burner and the Stone Sarira Box of Baekje Changwangmyeong.
Out of Buyeo' downtown toward Nonsan, you will encounter a small hill where the royal tombs are. The Neungsanri Baekje Royal Tomb Garden holds seven tombs of kings and royal family members that lived in Buyeo when it was known as called Sabi, the capital of the nation. You can take a peek at the mural fully restored at the model exhibition center at the entrance of the garden. Gungnamji offers different atmospheres and sights at every season. You can easily imagine becoming a Baekje citizen crossing the wooden bridge reaching the small island or strolling around the pond around which the leaves dance along with the wind. If you can't afford to visit the place every season, be sure to visit it in spring when the lotus flowers and wild flowers are in full bloom and in winter when the pond is covered with white snow all over the place.

Due to open in 2010, the Baekje Historical Reenactment Complex is under construction. As a total exhibition center for the Baekje culture, it will provide visitors with a wonderful chance to understand the history and culture of Baekje in a systematic manner. Consisting of the palace, traditional folk village, historical reenactment village, and artists' village, it has the Center of Baekje History and Culture open to the public already.
Reenacting and restoring the people, lives, politics, society, and arts of Baekje, the Center of Baekje History and Culture will make Baekje, a country asleep for the past 1,400 years, come alive again.

 

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Baekje culture as part of the world culture

We are working on registering the Baekje culture as a World
Heritage Site and expanding the Baekje Culture Festival.

Today culture is one of the factors that decide a nation's competitive edge. We have performed various projects to make the Baekje culture into part of the world culture.
The first item on the preparation list is to grow the Baekje Culture Festival as one of the world festivals. The Baekje Culture Festival, which has been held in Buyeo and Gongju in turns every two years, will be integrated as one and will happen in the Gongsanseong of Gongju and Gudrae of Buyeo at the same time every year. With the increased project costs of 4 billion won, it will have the size of an international event.
We have also made gradual progress in the efforts to register the Songsanri Old Tomb Site of Gongju and Neungsanri Old Tomb Site of Buyeo as a World Heritage Site since September 2006.
One of the projects designed to make the Baekje culture as part of the world culture is the Baekje History and Culture Fair (temporary name) at the Baekje Historical Reenactment Complex (Buyeo), which is expected to be complete in 2010.
The fair will present an opportunity to let the world know about the glorious Baekje culture and make it a part of the global culture.