Stele of King Muyeol, Gyeongju

The stele before the tomb of King Muyeol, twenty-ninth ruler of Silla. Steles of the Unified Silla period follow Tang Chinese practice: a turtle for a base, dragons carved on the capstone above the body. This is the first example of that arrangement in Korea. What stands in the pavilion today is the turtle and the capstone; the stone body between them is lost. The turtle holds its neck high and thrusts its feet forward as though moving off. Large hexagons are cut across its shell like a honeycomb, and lotus is carved around the socket at the centre of its back where the body stone was set. On the capstone six dragons, three to a side, are wound together holding the sacred jewel, and across the front is carved Stele of the Great King Taejong Muyeol, which tells us whose it is. It was raised in 661, and the inscription was in the hand of the king's second son Kim In-mun, famous as a calligrapher. The carving is so alive that the creatures seem to move, and something of the forward temper of the Silla who unified the peninsula comes through it. It is called the finest work of its kind not only in Korea but in East Asia, and the assurance of the cutting shows how far stone carving had come.

AI Translation

Visiting

Opening hours

March-October 09:00-18:00 November-February 09:00-17:00

Closed

N/A (Open all year round)

Admission

Individuals - Adults 2,000 won / Teenagers 1,000 won / Children 500 won<br /> Groups - Adults 1,600 won / Teenagers 800 won / Children 400 won

Parking

Available

Information

+82-54-750-8612

Visitor information: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Treasure · 국보