Why this ride
144 km from Gongju to Gongju, about 2 h 37 of riding. The stops in between: Magoksa Temple, Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos and back through Magoksa Temple. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Baekje Historic Areas and Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 144 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 37
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Baekje Historic Areas
Gongju is where the kingdom of Baekje retreated when it was almost destroyed. In 475 the armies of Goguryeo, the northern rival, swept south and took the capital at Hanseong, near modern Seoul, killing the king, and the survivors moved the court to Ungjin, as Gongju was then called, a defensible site on the Geum river with a fortress on the hill above. For about sixty years it served as the capital, until the court moved further south to Sabi, now Buyeo, in 538. The UNESCO listing of Baekje Historic Areas, in 2015, covers Gongju, Buyeo and Iksan.
Read the complete Baekje Historic Areas write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Baekje Historic Areas is where the day begins. Next is Magoksa Temple.
2. Magoksa Temple
Magoksa sits in a fold of Taehwasan mountain in South Chungcheong, a short drive from the old Baekje capital of Gongju, and it is the sort of temple that makes a good argument for getting out of the car. A stream runs beside the approach, maples and zelkova trees close overhead, and the main buildings sit within a double compound, one for monks and one for the Buddha. Its tradition goes back to the seventh century, though most of the present wooden halls are much younger, and its five-storey stone pagoda with a metal finial on top is unusual, since the top part shows Tibetan influence, possibly from the Yuan dynasty.
Read the complete Magoksa Temple write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Magoksa Temple comes up about 25 km into the recorded legs. Next is Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos.
3. Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos
Buyeo was once Sabi, the last capital of the kingdom of Baekje, which flourished on the south-west of the Korean peninsula until it fell to Silla and Tang China in 660. The kingdom's kings moved here in 538, built a walled city beside the Geumgang river and made it a centre of Buddhism, craftsmanship and trade, sending monks and artisans to Japan, where Baekje taught the court the arts of temple building. At the site in Gwanbuk-ri, archaeologists have found the foundations of a palace and workshops, and near it the fortress of Busosanseong runs along the ridge above the river.
Read the complete Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 72 km into the recorded legs you reach Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos. Next is back through Magoksa Temple.
4. back through Magoksa Temple
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Magoksa Temple write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Magoksa Temple, late in the day. Next is Baekje Historic Areas.
5. Baekje Historic Areas
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Baekje Historic Areas write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Baekje Historic Areas. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Baekje Historic Areas to Magoksa Temple
Baekje Historic Areas → Magoksa Temple is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Magoksa Temple to Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos
Magoksa Temple → Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos is 47 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos to back through Magoksa Temple
Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos → back through Magoksa Temple is 47 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Magoksa Temple to Baekje Historic Areas
back through Magoksa Temple → Baekje Historic Areas is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.