National Gongju Museum: Discover King Muryeong's Tomb Treasures
Dive into the rich history of the Baekje Kingdom at the National Gongju Museum. Explore stunning relics from King Muryeong's Tomb and engaging exhibits in Gongju, South Korea.
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Dive into the rich history of the Baekje Kingdom at the National Gongju Museum. Explore stunning relics from King Muryeong's Tomb and engaging exhibits in Gongju, South Korea.
Gongju National Museum: An Essential Indoor Attraction in Gongju
King Muryeong's Tomb Artifacts and Ceramics Storage Tour
After exploring King Muryeong's Tomb and its Royal Tombs Park in Gongju,
our next destination was the Gongju National Museum!
It's right next to King Muryeong's Tomb, making it a perfect spot to combine into your itinerary!
Gongju National Museum Basic Information
Operating Hours - 09:00~18:00
Closed - January 1st, Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day), Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day), every Monday
*However, if a Monday is a public holiday, the museum will be closed on the weekday following the holiday.
Admission - Free
Parking - Free
Phone Number - 041-850-6300
Before stepping into the museum building, you'll find the Gongju National Museum's
super popular photo zones: a giant Baekje Playmobil General and
a statue of the mythical Jinmyosu beast. Even as an adult,
they totally captured my heart, so I couldn't just walk past them.
I happily took a commemorative photo before heading inside to officially
start my exploration!
If you're visiting with kids, make sure to snap a picture here before going in – it's an absolute must! Lol.
Children's Experience Room Photozone
After taking our souvenir photos, the first place we stopped inside
was the Children's Experience Room – perfect for families!
It seemed like only those with children and a prior reservation
could enter immediately.
Since we didn't make a separate reservation, we couldn't go inside
the experience room. But, we still managed to snap a cute photo
at the photozone set up at the entrance.
Permanent Exhibition Hall: Ungjin Baekje Room
Leaving our slight disappointment behind, we moved our steps to
the Ungjin Baekje Room, the permanent exhibition hall on the first floor!
This is a key area where national treasure-level artifacts unearthed from King Muryeong's Tomb are prominently
displayed. The mythical Jinmyosu beast, which guarded the tomb,
was the first to greet us.
A splendid bust of King Muryeong also stood tall.
Finally, I got to witness the actual crown ornaments of the king. The golden flame patterns
and intricate craftsmanship were truly breathtakingly opulent and beautiful, giving me goosebumps.
The flat photos I saw in old history textbooks couldn't capture even half of the brilliance of these real objects.
As I gazed at the intricately carved patterns on the silver cup with its stand,
I felt the sophisticated and elegant aesthetic sensibility of the Baekje people directly transmitted to me.
Since I've always been fascinated by cups, my feet naturally stopped in front of such a magnificent silver cup! Haha.
Around the massive wooden coffin, there was a lively buzz of visitors!
Next, I explored the dazzling accessories that the king and queen actually wore,
including golden hairpins, necklaces, and belts. The golden adornments were so lavish
and abundant, they were truly blinding! Wow~
While observing them, I thought, 'They're incredibly grand and magnificent,
but the king and queen must have found them truly heavy to wear all at once!'
Each accessory boasted impressive thickness and dazzling splendor, making it a space where you could
fully feel the majesty of the Baekje royal court. For anyone who's visited King Muryeong's Tomb,
this permanent exhibition hall is an absolute must-see!
Even in the corridor, there was a captivating giant stone sculpture on display:
a Seohyeolsaji Stone Seated Buddha, along with a halo meticulously carved into stone,
depicting the mysterious light emanating from the Buddha.
Unlike the dazzling metal artifacts I saw inside the exhibition hall,
seeing the stone Buddha and its halo bathed in natural light streaming through the window
brought a wonderful sense of calm to my mind.
I really appreciated that even the easily overlooked corridor space offered such rich sights! Haha.
Museum Shop: Cultural Products Store
And something you absolutely can't miss on a museum tour:
the Museum Shop, full of amazing cultural goods!
At the entrance of the shop, there was a slow postbox
shaped like a Jinmyosu (mythical guardian creature), which filled the air with a wonderful, sentimental vibe!
Inside, my eyes were delighted by the abundance of magnets: some shaped like Jinmyosu, others colorful and depicting Baekje artifacts.
Especially the cute knit pouches and chestnut-shaped *gonggi* (game pieces)
inspired by Gongju's specialty, chestnuts (albam),
were so charmingly adorable that I almost emptied my wallet, haha!
Chungcheongnam-do History and Culture Exhibition Hall
After browsing the goods, I headed up to the 2nd-floor Chungcheongnam-do History and Culture Exhibition Hall.
And let me tell you, this place was a true treasure trove in my book!
From comb-pattern pottery that I only ever encountered in school exams, it was fascinating!
The sight of various Baekje earthenware, big and small, gathered together was truly spectacular,
and with even a traditional kitchen hearth (agungi) faithfully recreated,
it was incredibly engaging to explore.
There was also a section dedicated to the Buddhist and daily life culture of Chungcheongnam-do during the Goryeo Dynasty,
where plates, bottles, bowls, teapots, and teacups actually used by people back then
were beautifully displayed.
Their sophisticated aesthetic truly stood out; they wouldn't look out of place even in a modern interior design shop today.
As someone who loves dishes and cups, I was so absorbed in looking at each piece
that I couldn't tear myself away, haha!
My absolute favorite from the Chungcheongnam-do History and Culture Exhibition Hall that day was...
...the Gyeryongsan Buncheong Ware!
These ceramics, made at the Hakbong-ri kiln site in Gyeryongsan, Gongju,
had such captivating fish motifs that I spent ages admiring them.
If you're someone who loves dishes or ceramics,
this is definitely a place where your eyes will feast without you even noticing the time!
Chungcheong Regional Repository
After completing my visit to the 2nd-floor Chungcheongnam-do History Exhibition Hall,
I came back down and headed next to the Repository Building!
This wasn't just about viewing exhibits; it was even more fun because
there were small, delightful elements where visitors could participate directly.
As I diligently completed missions on the screen,
I even received cute sticker goodies as a reward!
What's more, on the screen, I got to be a curator too!
After the experience, you can even snag a special business card.
My husband tried it too, and just like me, he became a Collections Manager.
He came out and we both heartily agreed that we're truly a match! Lol.
And then, we finally came face-to-face with the truly jaw-dropping
Open Storage!
This is a place where the museum's artifact storage facilities are
opened up with transparent glass for visitors to see,
and I was so surprised by the well-managed scale of the interior
that an audible 'wow' just escaped me.
You can even open and close drawers yourself to observe the artifacts
up close.
The sight of countless pottery pieces meticulously arranged in compartments
on large open shelves was truly
overwhelming.
If you visit the Gongju National Museum, I highly recommend making this Open Storage area
your final stop to fully experience its grandeur and uniqueness.
Carrying on the profound impression of King Muryeong's Tomb,
from the magnificent National Treasure artifacts in the Gongju National Museum's permanent exhibition
to the Chungcheongnam-do History and Culture Hall that perfectly captured my taste,
and the overwhelming Open Storage – it was a fulfilling day utterly immersed in the deep charm of Baekje.
For anyone heading to Gongju, definitely don't
miss this itinerary!!
▼ Recommended Gongju Travel Course: A Visit to King Muryeong's Tomb ▼
📍 Gongju National Museum
34 Gwangwangdanji-gil, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do, Gongju National Museum
Both admission and parking are free at the Gongju National Museum. The museum is open from 09:00 to 18:00. It is closed on January 1st, Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day), Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day), and every Monday.
The Children's Experience Room is only accessible to those accompanied by children and who have made a prior reservation. Visitors without a reservation may not be able to enter the experience room.
The Ungjin Baekje Room displays national treasure-class artifacts excavated from King Muryeong's Tomb. You can admire actual ornate ornaments such as the king's crown ornaments, a silver cup with a stand, and gold hairpins.
In the Chungcheongnam-do History and Culture Room on the 2nd floor, we recommend the Gyeryongsan Buncheong ware, which was produced at the Hakbong-ri kiln site in Gyeryongsan, Gongju. The fish paintings are particularly captivating and attract attention.
At the Chungcheong Region Storage Facility, you can receive sticker merchandise or obtain a curator's business card by completing screen missions. Additionally, you can have a special experience of observing artifacts up close by directly opening and closing drawers in the open storage area, which features transparent glass walls.
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