Baekje Historic Areas

Baekje Historic Areas

UNESCO World Heritage Site
The night view of the stone pagoda at Mireuksa Temple
Location	South Korea
Includes	Gongsanseong Fortress Royal Tombs in Songsan-ri Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busosanseong Fortress Jeongnimsa Temple Site Royal Tombs in Neungsan-ri Naseong City Wall Archeological Site in Wanggung-ri Mireuksa Temple Site
Criteria	Cultural: (ii), (iii)
Reference	1477
Inscription	2015 (39th Session)
Area	135.1 ha (334 acres)
Buffer zone	303.64 ha (750.3 acres)
Coordinates	36°27′43″N 127°7′38″E / 36.46194°N 127.12722°E / 36.46194; 127.12722
Location of Baekje Historic Areas in South Korea

The Baekje Historic Areas are a group of monuments located in three South Korean cities: Gongju, Buyeo, and Iksan. They relate to the last period of the Baekje Kingdom, representing the period from 475 to 660 CE, which was one of the three kingdoms that flourished from 18 BC to 660 CE. The property designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has eight archaeological sites. These are: The Gongsanseong fortress (공주 공산성) and the royal tombs at Songsan-ri, related to the capital city of Ungjin, now Gongju; the Busosanseong Fortress (부소산성) and Gwanbuk-ri administrative buildings, the Jeongnimsa Temple, the Neungsan-ri royal tombs, and the Naseong city wall in Sabi, now Buyeo; and the Wanggung-ri Palace and the Mireuksa Temple in Iksan, a subsidiary capital region of Sabi.^[1][2][3]

The Baekje Historic Areas were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 8 July 2015 at the 39th session of the Committee. They were inscribed both as a cultural heritage under Criteria II, for the cultural and architectural features which the ancient East Asian kingdoms of Korea evolved in respect of construction methods and Buddhism and exchanged with China and Japan, and under Criteria III, for the extraordinary architecture, culture, religion, and artistry of the Baekje Kingdom in its capital cities, Buddhist shrines and funerary structures, and stone pagodas.^[1]