Gwancheondae Observatory of Gwansanggam (Bureau of Meteorology)

Cut stone, 4.2 metres high and about 2.8 by 2.5 at the top, with a stone railing around the platform. The steps that once led up it are gone. It was set up in 1434 for the bureau that handled astronomy, geography, weather and water clocks. Sejong had that bureau recompute the calendar for Korea's own latitude rather than continue using figures calculated for Beijing — a decision with more political weight than it sounds, since issuing a calendar was a sovereign act. The observations were made from stands like this one. The bureau outlived him by centuries, changing its name in 1466, again in 1894 and once more in 1907, when it started acquiring modern instruments. Together with Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju, the Goryeo platform at Kaesong and the one inside Changgyeonggung, this is one of four surviving markers of how far Korean astronomy got.

Original Text

Where it is

Region

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물