Six syllables full of pride, 'Exciting Princess'
The ultimate small-town getaway: meeting the princess.

The slogan and catchphrase of Gongju City is 'Exciting Gongju'.
The pride of being a city that is fun enough to be called that is full of these short six syllables.
A travel book dedicated solely to the 'exciting princess' has been published.
Meanwhile, the princess was either grouped with Buyeo, a city on the banks of the Geumgang River and also a capital of Baekje, or introduced together with it as one of several small cities.
It was a shame for a city rich in travel content like a princess.
Princess is a city worth traveling to.
It is a place full of fun and plenty to see, eat, and do.
Gongju is where the first Paleolithic artifacts were discovered in our country.
It was the center of the Ungjin Baekje period, when the capital was moved to Hanseong Baekje, which was on the verge of collapse, and the foundation for its revival was laid.
It was a city representing the Chungcheong region along with Hongseong, Chungju, and Cheongju, and after the Imjin War, it was a city with a provincial government that encompassed the entire Chungcheong region.
Since the modern era, it has been strengthened as an educational and historical city.
When the tomb of King Muryeong was excavated in 1971, the treasures containing the splendid Baekje culture astonished the world.
The natural environment, with Gyeryongsan Mountain on one side and Geumgang River on the other, is also wonderful and beautiful.
In Gongju, there are three UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites (Gongsanseong Fortress, King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tomb Park, and Magoksa Temple).
It's so exciting! Discover every nook and cranny of this fascinating princess firsthand through a book.

Whether you are a visitor from abroad or a Korean thinking about traveling domestically, you ask this question.
If I had to recommend just one place in Korea, which would it be? I'd have to think about it for a long time.
Gyeongju? Busan? Jeju? Or Seoul? There are many places in Seoul alone.
National Museum of Korea… Bukhansan Mountain… Hanyangdoseong… .
But, no, still, communism! Communism is that kind of place.
A national emergency center representing Gongju and Chungcheong.
And globally, it is a place that can be confidently recommended to the entire world.

Gongsanseong Fortress has the beauty of a Korean mountain fortress, and is nestled right next to the large river Geumgang River and embraces an old forest.
Here, you can encounter layers of history dating back to the Baekje period, passing by old pavilions, tower gates, and castle walls that rise and fall along the terrain of the river and mountains.
--- p.10-11, from “Gongsanseong∥A beautiful place where mountains, rivers, and history overlap”

The process by which King Muryeong's tomb was revealed to the world was truly dramatic.
The joys and sorrows of human history were also evident in the excavation process.
And relics.
Baekje's culture is considered the most splendid and beautiful in Korean history.
Thousands of artifacts made with the highest level of technology and craftsmanship of the time were unearthed from the tomb of King Muryeong, who led the revival of Baekje.
The National Gongju Museum holds virtually all of these artifacts.
The splendor and beauty are so extreme that I can't help but sigh.
--- p.28, from “National Gongju Museum∥Where can I get some flower rain?”

I can't say for sure why, but there's something about the tomb that makes me feel moved.
Just as the most memorable things about Gyeongju are not Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, or Cheomseongdae, but the numerous ancient tombs, in Gongju, the sight of the semicircular, round tombs in the royal tomb complex brings a sense of peace and makes you fall in love with their true beauty.

Princess Songsan Nam, "There are seven burial mounds rising on the slope of a low hill.
This is the royal tomb of King Muryeong and the royal tomb garden.
Since it is called Wangneungwon, they must all be tombs of kings, queens, or royal family members.
Although it is smaller in scale compared to the royal tombs of Silla or Joseon, it is not so small as to be considered small.
The royal tombs are connected in a series, with tombs 5, 6, and 7 forming one group and tombs 1 through 4 forming another group.
They are all presumed to be the tombs of the royal family during the Ungjin capital period of Baekje.
Among the seven tombs in Wangneungwon, one is particularly special.
This is because there is a tomb whose owner has been revealed, and it is the lucky number 7, King Muryeong's tomb.
--- p.44-45, from “Princess Muryeong’s Tomb and Royal Tomb Garden∥A Place Embracing the Mystery of Baekje”

Magoksa Temple has a history of over a thousand years.
During that long period, all kinds of legends and history were created and a unique culture was created.
In addition to 7 treasures, 8 provincial tangible cultural assets, 1 provincial folk cultural asset, and 5 cultural asset materials, there are many other valuable cultural assets remaining.

Magoksa Temple was first designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 as a "Sansa, Korean Mountain Monasteries."
It has become the history of the world, not just our history.
“When you walk across a snow-covered field/ Do not walk carelessly or in a disorderly manner./ The footsteps I take today/ Will become a milestone for those who follow.” This is a Zen poem by Seosan Daesa that hangs in Baekbeomdang.
It is said to be a calligraphy that Baekbeom Kim Gu often used.
Today's Magoksa Temple, which has become a part of the history of the world, feels like a koan that is being passed on to the world.
--- p.73-74, from “Magoksa Temple ∥ Our Buddhist Culture Recognized by the World”

The Seokjang-ri Paleolithic Festival is held every May at the Seokjang-ri Historic Site.
In the Paleolithic village formed around the Seokjang-ri Museum, people make stone tools, make fire, and build houses just as the ancient people did.
It is a festival that brings back to life a truly ancient time spanning tens of thousands of years.
It is a joyful festival of learning about how human life began.
Where did we come from? A visit to the Seokjangni Museum offers another answer to that question.

--- p.107-108, from “Seokjangni Museum∥Human civilization began with stones”

“The country is broken and the king is ruined. How can I live alone?
I will be a Lee person while I am alive, and I will be a Lee ghost even after I die.
Confucius said to cultivate humanity, and Mencius said to pursue righteousness. Gray hair, red loyalty, only death, there are no double minds.”
Mui, the saying that there are no two minds comes from here.
The princess of Joseon ended in tragedy.
It was something that not only the princess experienced, but the entire Korean peninsula experienced as well.
The lost function of the Hyanggyo, or the newly built or relocated Pojeongsa Gate and Seonhwadang Hall, evoke that history.
The history of failure teaches us more profound lessons than the history of success.
I think of it in the buildings that tell the story of Joseon's princesses.
--- p.122, from “Chungcheong Gamyeong and Hyanggyo ∥ Joseon’s Princess, Princess’s Joseon”

There is no mention of Gapsa Temple in the essay “The Road to Gapsa Temple.”
Moreover, it is different from our ‘road to Gapsa’.
But whenever I go to Gapsa Temple, “The Road to Gapsa Temple” always comes to mind.
This is especially true in winter.
On a day when snow falls consistently, visiting Gapsa Temple to follow old writings is one of the luxuries of winter.

Ultimately, no matter what season, the 'road to Gapsa Temple' is beautiful and stimulates the interest of travelers.
In that sense, the most important thing in Gapsa Temple may be the steps and heart of each person who goes to Gapsa Temple.
Stand tall in front of the main gate.
My heart sinks as I look at the forest path that stretches far and wide through the door.
It is a green tunnel of beautiful giant trees.
Wow! The road to Gapsa Temple is fascinating in every season.
--- p.127-128, from “Gapsa∥A road to Gapsa that is good in any season”

The tower stands as affectionately as the legend says.
In Buddhism, a friend who practices Buddhism together with you is called a doban.
The Buddha's disciple, Venerable Ananda, asked the Buddha.
“World Honored One, if a practitioner has a good companion, does that mean he has completed half of his practice?” The Buddha shook his head and said,
“Ananda, that is not true.
“Having good friends, having good companions, and being surrounded by good people is no different from completing the entire practice.”
Did the Buddha realize the meaning of theft in the fearful and lonely moment when he was the only one in heaven and earth?
The monk and the maiden may have been siblings and each other's accomplices.
The reason Donghaksa Temple is the birthplace of the Doban movement today may be because of the legend of the Sibling Pagodas that originated there.
--- p.154, from “Donghaksa ∥ Thinking about a good ‘friend’”

The charm of the central orchestra is seeing the old paintings on the two doors.
The painting on the front gate is so faint that it is difficult to even make out the outline.
In comparison, the painting of the central gate is still faint, but its shape is still quite recognizable.
The coloring remains partially, giving us an idea of ​​how splendid it must have been when it was first painted.
What does it look like to be a general?
Buddhism employs numerous statues of divine generals who protect the Buddhist law.
The people painted on both sides of the central gate are probably among those gods.
One traveler, based on the objects held by the guardian deities, speculated that the guardian deity wearing a blue hat is the Heavenly King Guangmu, one of the Four Heavenly Kings who protects the West, and the guardian deity holding a lute (which appears to be holding a sword, but is actually a lute) on the other side is the Heavenly King Damun, who protects the North.
That's a plausible analogy.
Whether it is actually the Four Heavenly Kings or an image of another god, we should first take a closer look before investigating their identity.
The traces of old paintings, their colors and shapes fading away and being mercilessly consumed by time, are profound.
--- p.165, from “Shinwonsa Temple ∥ A place that protects the country and grants wishes”

The Jungdong Cathedral in downtown Gongju and the Yogol Church in Myeonggok-ri, Yugu-eup are each valuable cultural heritages that show the stages of the spread of Catholicism and religious life.
These are places that showcase the princess's modern architecture and the landscape of her heart and faith, and are worth visiting even if you are not a Catholic pilgrim.
Along with these two places, the Stork Rock Holy Site in downtown Gongju, where numerous martyrs passed through, is recommended as a place to visit for the princess's heart.
The days of making sacrifices for one's beliefs are not so long ago.
Where did today's freedom to believe, think, and speak freely come from? Perhaps this long history of faith, sacrifice, and martyrdom was one of its starting points.

--- p.188, from “Middle East Cathedral and Stork Rock Holy Land∥A Landscape of Faith Beginning from the History of Martyrdom”

Unlike many museums or art galleries, most of the works at Yeonmisan Natural Art Park can be touched, stroked, sat on, or leaned against.
There are no ominous warnings like 'Don't Touch'.
After visiting once, it is also nice to come back again in different weather, at different times, and in different seasons.
(…)
While it's wonderful to see great works that stand as if they will be remembered forever, it's a wonderful experience to encounter works like those at Yeonmisan Natural Art Park that clearly bear the imminent fate of disappearing.
Which is more similar to life?
Where is there more nature?
It would be a good idea to come to Yeonmisan Natural Art Park to ask such questions.

--- p.222, from “Yeonmisan Natural Art Park∥What did you see on that mountain?”

The moment you enter the second floor, the first thing that catches your eye beyond the exhibition halls on either side and in the middle is the funeral bier placed in the center.
A bier is a tool used to carry a human body to a cemetery.
It is long and can be carried by about 10 people, and its shape resembles a palanquin.
If you look at it that way, it is a palanquin where dead souls burn.
In America, they say that even the poorest people ride in a limousine at their funerals. But in ancient Joseon, was it possible for even the most humble people to ride in a palanquin after death?

--- p.231, from “The Museum of Korean Folk Drama ∥A Thousand and One Nights Told by the Old World”

It's fun to look at the dishes.
Buying dishes is more enjoyable.
It is more enjoyable to buy good dishes and use them often.
So, Gyeryongsan Ceramics Village is a place to go to experience joy.
If you go there, you can see and buy pottery made by artists in their workshops, and taste the dishes served in those pots.
If you buy a bowl, the pleasure will continue at home.
Gyeryongsan Ceramic Village is an art-centered community that has preserved and inherited the region's cultural heritage and history, which can already be considered world-class, including 'Cheolhwa Buncheong ware', and has formed a village based on this.
(…) Potters gathered and formed a village near the site of the old Guryongsa Temple in Sangsin-ri, Banpo-myeon, on the northern slope of Gyeryongsan Mountain.
This is a community village formed around 1993 by 18 young ceramic artists who majored in ceramics at university.
The potters build their own houses and workshops on land funded by the community, where they make a living by firing pottery.
Although each person's artistic style is different, the foundation of making pottery in Gyeryongsan Mountain is the idea of ​​continuing the tradition of 'Gyeryongsan Iron-painted Buncheong Ware'.
--- p.252-253, from “Gyeryongsan Ceramics Village ∥ Expectations of Going to See Pottery”

Every year in early September, an autumn festival called the 'Gongju Cultural Heritage Night Tour' is held in the Jemincheon area.
This is an urban festival where you can walk along the illuminated Jemincheon River on a cool autumn night, see various cultural assets, and participate in various programs.
Even if it's not a festival with a specific name and date, the time spent along the Jemincheon Stream in downtown Gongju will feel like a festival.

If it's a festival, 1 night and 2 days is short.
A week, a fortnight, a month…! To fully enjoy the life and charm of downtown Gongju, you'll need more time.
The princess is a small town.
It is neither a typical tourist destination nor a large city like Seoul or other metropolitan cities.
Experience the everyday life of an ordinary small town, enjoy the unique character and culture of the downtown area, and experience the true face of historical cities like Baekje from thousands of years ago, Joseon from hundreds of years ago, and even modern-day Gongju. Fall in love with the charm of the downtown area along the Jemincheon River.
--- p.291, from “Jemincheonbyeon ∥ A festival-like time that targets tastes”

Gongju Sanseong Market was selected as a 'Gongju City Future Heritage' in July 2022.
The reason for its selection was that it is a valuable heritage that many citizens have experienced or remembered against the backdrop of Gongju's modern and contemporary history, and that it has great significance in forming the urban historical landscape of Gongju.
If you wander the alleys of Sanseong Market, sometimes eating, sometimes buying, and sometimes bargaining, you will experience a different kind of fun and excitement than you would find in online shopping or large shopping malls.
At the entrance to Gongjusanseong Market, there is a large sign that reads ‘Happy Gongjusanseong Market.’
Fun, excitement, and enjoyment.
This must be an important reason to pass on the acid market to the future.

--- p.302, from “Gongjusanseong Market∥The Market is Fun”