A Guide to the Humanities of Gongju and Buyeo for the Inquisitive City Traveler
A guide to Munsacheol's journey through time to ancient Baekje

Gongju and Buyeo are cities that fully embody the rise and fall of the Baekje kingdom.
Gongju, the second capital of Baekje, is home to numerous cultural heritage sites, including Gongsanseong Fortress and King Muryeong's Tomb. In addition, countless stories are piled up along Ugeumchi, the site of the fierce battles of the Donghak Peasant Revolution, and the Geumgang River, which has flowed for millennia.
Buyeo, the third capital of Baekje, contains numerous cultural heritages, including the Jeongnimsa Temple Site, Gungnamji Pond, Mt. Busosan, the Baekje Cultural Complex, and Seongheungsanseong Fortress.
The author, a cultural historian who has published over 70 books on Korean history and culture, has lived up to his nickname, “Philosopher on the Road,” by densely incorporating his vast philosophical knowledge into the historical sites of Baekje.
A fascinating docent tour of literature, history, and philosophy for time travelers unfolds, allowing you to reflect on yourself through conversations with the ancient people who lived in that land.

When King Injo stayed here, the Im family presented him with rice cakes soaked in soybean paste.
The story that the taste was so good that he asked for the name, but since no one knew, he named it 'Imjeolmi (任+絶味)' after that person's surname, and that is how it became the Injeolmi of today is said to have been created at Ssangsujeong.
--- p.30

The Gomnaru Geumgang River was the 38th parallel and the ceasefire line that could not be crossed in the winter of the year of Gap-o.
The Donghak Peasant Army's earnest wish to advance to Seoul, to conquer Gongju and open a new world by marching on Seoul with the lofty hope of "Tomorrow is Gongju, the day after tomorrow is Suwon, and finally Seoul," was washed away like the blue waters of the Geumgang River.
--- p.39

The coincidence happened again in 1971.
While construction was underway to prevent water from seeping between Tomb No. 5 and Tomb No. 6, a monumental tomb that will remain in the history of Korean archaeological excavations was discovered.
In 1940, when he was about to leave the princess, Karube Jion said, “I have investigated more than 1,000 Baekje tombs.” The tomb that survived the eyes of countless grave robbers, including Karube, was King Muryeong’s tomb.
--- p.58

It was in 1602 (the 35th year of King Seonjo's reign) that the military camp in Chungju was moved to Gongju.
The reason for the move was that while most of the Chungju area was reduced to ashes during the Imjin War, Gongju suffered less damage than Chungju, although it was temporarily captured during the Byeongja War.
In addition, while Chungju is located in the northeastern part of Chungcheong Province, Gongju is located at a transportation hub that connects the Geumgang River and other parts of Chungcheong Province.
--- p.84

A man named Lee Seo-bang whom he met at a temple out of the blue recommended Magoksa Temple, and that connection eventually led to Kim Gu shaving his head and entering the temple.
Three years later, Kim Gu left for Gyeongseong, saying, "I will go to Geumgangsan Mountain, study the meaning of the scriptures, and become a devoted Buddhist for the rest of my life." The following words he left in Baekbeom Ilji provide insight into his intentions.
--- p.96

The pagoda, quietly hidden under a banyan tree, is an octagonal round building with the base, body, and top all made of octagonal shapes. The base features celestial beings playing musical instruments on a waving cloud-patterned sculpture, which is unique.
The content of the sculptures is so diverse that it is considered one of the best relics among the stone pagodas from the Goryeo Dynasty.
--- p.103

The Stork Rock Holy Site on Wangneung-ro in Gongju-si is the place that produced the most martyrs in Korean history.
The name Stork Rock comes from the fact that pine trees grow over the rock, which is where many storks live. Another story says that criminals were dragged to the rock with a hangswae (a sword placed around their neck) and executed, so it is also called Hangswae Rock.
--- p.119

Buyeo, the land of dawn that witnessed the rise and fall of Baekje as the capital for 123 years, has few relics from Baekje.
As someone once said, "If you don't go to Buyeo with imagination, there's nothing to see," and there are no cultural heritage sites in Buyeo City or even in the Mt. Busosan area that convey the traces of that day.
Instead, Buyeo has the Eight Scenic Views of Buyeo.
--- p.143

It is presumed that Gungnamji was not only a place where the king and nobles enjoyed leisure activities, but also served as an outer moat to ward off enemies.
When examining the current ruins, it is believed that it was a natural curved site that preserved the natural topography.
In summer, the largest number of lotus species in the country, including white lotus, red lotus, water lily, and prickly lotus, bloom and fall here, and the Lotus Festival hosted by Buyeo County is held every summer.
--- p.149

As the nation fell, Baekje's capital, Sabi Castle, became a sea of ​​fire. The only one to survive was the five-story stone pagoda at Jeongnimsa Temple, which boasts a beautiful, refined, and noble elegance.
The stone pagoda is 8.33 meters high, and its structure is similar to that of most stone pagodas: a foundation stone is built, a base is formed, a five-story tower body is placed on top of it, and a finial is formed at the top.
--- p.152

The fact that the nature of Busosanseong Fortress has been revealed as part of Sabi City, the last capital of Baekje during the Sabi period and as the royal palace of Baekje, has very important academic significance.
Judging from the presence of military depots and building sites inside, it is presumed that it was used for military purposes in times of emergency, but in peacetime, it served as a secret garden for the king and nobles to enjoy, taking advantage of the beautiful scenery of the Baekma River and Busosan Mountain.
--- p.159

The difference between the legend and the facts created later is this great.
It is thought that at that time, Baekje's national power did not even have 300 palace maids.
Considering the record that King Uija had 41 illegitimate children, and that he appointed them as Jwapyeong and granted them fiefs, it is estimated that he had over 100 children and even more palace maids.
--- p.174

The spring behind Goransa Temple, where Sangchon Shin Heum, a scholar-official of the mid-Joseon Dynasty, wrote a poem titled “Evening Scenery of Goransa Temple,” is famous as the water used by the kings of Baekje.
When the king drank the medicinal water, he floated a golani leaf on the water.
Regarding Gorancho, it is recorded in the “Hyangbangyakseongdaejeon” compiled during the reign of King Sejong of Joseon. It is a mysterious perennial plant that the great monk Wonhyo of Silla said he knew that Gorancho existed upstream from the taste of the water he drank from the lower reaches of the Baekma River.
--- p.178

The Baekje Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner was excavated from a rice paddy west of the Neungsan-ri Ancient Tombs on December 12, 1993.
It was truly a miracle that it had suddenly appeared from a mud pit, untouched by any damage, transcending 1,300 years of space and time.
This incense burner, which is believed to have been used in ceremonies related to Buddhism, the state religion, is made primarily of bronze and plated, and consists of a lid, body, and stand.
--- p.194

The last place that Kim Si-seup, who considered the world his home and wandered his entire life, visited was Muryangsa Temple on Mansusan Mountain in Oesan-myeon, Buyeo-gun.
Why did he choose Muryangsa Temple as the place to spend his final years? Little is known about his life at Muryangsa Temple.
It is said that he painted his own portrait here and evaluated himself by saying, “Your appearance is extremely weak and your words are unreasonable; you should be thrown into the pit.”
--- p.216

Young, ambitious writers came into the village one by one to 'warm themselves up', and the empty space began to transform into various cultural spaces.
It has been reborn with the warp of crafts and the weft of culture, including the workshops and showrooms of traditional craftsmen, local food restaurants, cafes and bookstores, and Hanok living experience centers.
--- p.232

Shin Dong-yup's [Geumgang], published in 1967 with a 50,000 won grant from his fan club, played a role in bringing the magnificent revolution of 100 years ago, which had been dormant for a long time, to the center of literature and history.
He, who formed the two axes of national literature together with Kim Su-yeong, passed away at the age of thirty-nine.
--- p.234

The Eunsan Byeolsinje is characterized by being a general's ritual related to the fall of Baekje.
The gods of Byeolsinje are Bokshin and Dochim, and the ritual includes a list of generals with the names of famous generals from ancient China and Korea, and their portraits are enshrined in Byeolsinje.
Because it tells the sad story of a general who lost his country, people on horseback appear, and rituals such as wearing yungbok (an old military uniform made of a cheollik and juju) and setting up camp are featured.

--- p.243