Magoksa Temple and Royal Tombs in Neungsan-ri

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos.

2. 2. 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

   Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos comes up about 47 km into the recorded legs. Next is Donam-seown.

3. 3. Donam-seown

   Donam Seowon is a Confucian academy in the countryside near Nonsan, in South Chungcheong province, and it is one of nine seowon that UNESCO listed together in 2019. Seowon were private academies founded by scholars of the Joseon dynasty, where young men studied the Confucian classics and honoured the memory of great teachers through rituals. Donam was founded in the early seventeenth century to commemorate Kim Jang-saeng, a renowned scholar of rites, and his students, and it played an important role in the intellectual life of the period.

   Read the complete Donam-seown write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 76 km into the recorded legs you reach Donam-seown. Next is Royal Tombs in Neungsan-ri.

4. 4. Royal Tombs in Neungsan-ri

   Seven grassy mounds rise on a hillside outside Buyeo, smooth and green, looking almost like a landscape garden. They are the royal tombs of Neungsan-ri, burial places of kings of Baekje, one of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea, during the period when Buyeo, then called Sabi, was its capital, from 538 to 660. The tombs were robbed long ago, but their stone chambers survive, and one has painted walls showing the guardian animals of the four directions and lotus flowers. They are part of the UNESCO listing of the Baekje historic areas, together with sites in Gongju, Buyeo and Iksan.

   Read the complete Royal Tombs in Neungsan-ri write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Royal Tombs in Neungsan-ri, about halfway. Next is back through Donam-seown.

5. 5. back through Donam-seown

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Donam-seown write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Donam-seown sits at 143 km, about halfway. Next is back through Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos.

6. 6. back through Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   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

   back through Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busos comes up about 155 km into the recorded legs. Next is Magoksa Temple.

7. 7. 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

   Magoksa Temple closes the day.