Graceful Beauty in Historic Buyeo | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Daejosa (Buyeo) is a temple located on the southern foothill of Seongheungsan (260.1m) in the southern part of Buyeo-gun. Like the nearby Garim Fortress, it was built in the early 6th century and boasts a history of nearly 1,500 years, featuring high stone walls resembling a mountain fortress. According to legend, an old monk was meditating under this rock when one day a large bird perched on the rock and he dozed off; upon waking, the rock had transformed into the statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva, leading to the temple being called Daejosa. The stone standing statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva, about 10m high, built on a large rock where Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva appeared, is designated a treasure. This statue is one of the giant stone Maitreya Bodhisattva statues popular during the Goryeo Dynasty, rivaling the Seokjo Maitreya Bodhisattva of Gwanchoksa Temple in Nonsan. Overall, it is highly regarded as a Bodhisattva statue that shows the same regional style as the Gwanchoksa stone Maitreya Bodhisattva. The stone pagoda standing in front of Daejosa Wontongbojeon was made in the Goryeo Dynasty and restored from partial remains and is designated as Chungcheongnam-do cultural heritage material. A wooden seated Bodhisattva statue believed to be made in the late Joseon Dynasty is also designated as Chungcheongnam-do tangible cultural heritage. Nearby tourist attractions include Seongheungsan, Buyeo Garim Fortress, Imcheon Hyanggyo, Imcheon Market, and Bokgeum Reservoir.

Gungnamji is a pond from the Baekje period, created by King Mu of Baekje on the south side of the palace, as recorded in the Samguk Sagi. The Samguk Yusa states that King Mu's mother conceived him through an encounter with a dragon in Gungnamji. Around the pond are wells and foundation stones remaining, representing the oldest artificial landscaping in Korea, showcasing Baekje's gardening technology. Gungnamji, with an island in the pond symbolizing Taoist ideas, is Korea's oldest artificial garden. Baekje gardener No Jagong reputedly traveled to Japan to share Baekje garden landscaping techniques. This shows Baekje’s excellence in garden design among the Three Kingdoms. It is a tourist site beautiful through all four seasons. Today, Gungnamji has developed into an ideal eco-friendly travel destination harmonizing nature and humans, with active efforts to preserve the natural environment. Visitors can experience history and nature simultaneously, with eco-friendly travel options such as bicycle and walking paths. Exploring the heritage sites deepens understanding of the historic value of the location. In July, the Seodong Lotus Festival showcases ten million blooming lotuses, and in October to November, the Goodttrae Chrysanthemum Exhibition, featuring various works, enhances the beauty of Gungnamji.

Baekmagang is another name for the Geumgang River flowing through Buyeo-gun. The Geumgang River originates in Jangsu-gun, Jeonbuk, flows into Chungcheong-do through Buyeo, and enters the West Sea (Gunsan Bay) between Seocheon-gun, Chungnam, and Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk. The 16 km section from Cheonjeongdae in Hoam-ri, Gyueam-myeon of Buyeo-gun to Banjo-won-ri in Sedo-myeon is also called Baekmagang. Baekmagang literally means "the greatest river of Baekje." Other names include "Baekgang" and "Baekchongang." After the capitals of Baekje, Ungjin (Gongju) and Sabi (Buyeo), were established, the Geumgang's role as a waterway increased, and the Baekmagang section was an important route for Baekje's trade with Japan, China, and the Western Regions. Baekmagang features many sites linked to ancient legends at every step and along every boat route, such as Cheonjeongdae, where significant national decisions of the Baekje era were made; Nakhwaam; Joryongdae; Gudeurae with its sculpture park; Jaondae, a rock said to warm itself; and the pavilion Subukjeong. Joryongdae is a rock by the Baekmagang near Goran Temple, like a small island, and legend says that in 660, when the Tang general Su Dingfang invaded Baekje, he caught a dragon that blocked river crossing here. Baekmagang can be viewed from Busosanseong and bridges, but can be experienced directly by Baekmagang cruises and amphibious buses. From June to October each year, canoe and yacht experience classes are held around Baekmagang Bridge and other locations.

This is a Bronze Age settlement site located in Buyeo Songguk-ri. It is estimated that there are more than 100 house sites on low hills and plateaus adjacent to a river and flatlands. The house sites vary in plan shape, including round and long rectangular forms. The round house sites were dug 30 to 150 cm deep (pit dwellings), with a shallow excavation on one side that may have served as a door. Although no hearth sites were found, numerous storage pits were discovered. A long oval pit about 1 meter in the center of the floor contained several small round pits. The rectangular house sites, less than 30 cm deep, resemble half-underground or above-ground houses; no post holes were found, but they had developed house structures with foundation stones. Many pottery and stone tools were unearthed from the house sites. Pottery includes plain pottery, red pottery (hongdo), and black polished pottery (heukdo). Plain pottery has a flat bottom, long egg-shaped body, and lacks a neck with a slightly outward-turned rim, differing from earlier plain pottery, thus called Songguk-ri style pottery. Various stone tools such as stone knives, arrowheads, spindle whorls, and axes were found. Additionally, large amounts of burnt rice and charred wall planks were uncovered, along with a bronze axe mold (dongbuyongbeom). The bronze axe mold is a fan-blade-shaped form similar to those from the Liaoning region. To the west of the house sites, Korea's first kiln for plain pottery was identified. Artifacts from the Songguk-ri site include traces of rafters, biwa-shaped bronze swords (bipa-hyeong donggeom), red polished pottery, plain pottery, stone axes, large blades, chisels, stone sickles, stone swords, and grindstones. These artifacts suggest the site was created by people engaged in agriculture and hunting before the 7th to 6th centuries BCE, providing important data on the lifestyle of Bronze Age people.