Bukhansan Monument, was designated as the 3rd
National Treasure of Korea on December 12, 1962. The stone monument was originally erected at Bibong Peak on Bukhan Mountain. It was subsequently moved to
Gyeongbokgung
Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the '' Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...
Palace for safekeeping and is now displayed in the
National Museum of Korea
The National Museum of Korea is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea and is the cultural organization that represents Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research a ...
.
The rectangular monument is built on a two-story pedestal. Because the monument was exposed to the elements for 1400 years it has suffered weathering and erosion damage. It is currently 154 centimeters high and 69 centimeters wide.
The Bukhansan Monument was rediscovered in 1816 during the reign of Emperor
Sunjo by Chusa
Kim Jeonghui
Gim Jeong-hui (김정희, 金正喜, born on the 3rd day of the 6th lunar month 1786, died on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month 1856), also known as Kim Jeong-hui, was one of the most celebrated practitioners of calligraphy, epigraphists, and ...
, a famous calligrapher.
The monument is valuable for the historical information inscribed on its surface. There are 12 lines with 32 characters per line in the Haeseoche style of Chinese calligraphy. The inscription praises the
Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...
King
Jinheung's (540-575 CE) territorial expansion into the
Han River valley and commemorates the occasion when the king came and inspected the new borders of his realm. The inscription explains why the monument was built, describes the achievements of King Jinheung, and also describes the royal retinue. While the exact date of when the monument was constructed is unclear because the
era
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
name is illegible, it is believed that the monument was constructed in 561 CE or 568 CE because the Changnyeongbi Monument and the Hwangchoryeongbi Monument were built on those dates respectively.
See also
*
National treasures of Korea
A National Treasure () is a tangible treasure, artifact, site, or building which is recognized by the South Korean government as having exceptional artistic, cultural and historical value to the country. The title is one of the eight State-designa ...
*
Stele
A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...
External links
Cultural Heritage Administration: Bukhansan Monument
{{coord, 37.5242, N, 126.9803, E, source:wikidata, display=title
Korean culture
National Treasures of South Korea
Silla