Korean Embassy Site, Ningbo, Archaeological site in Haishu District, Ningbo, China

The Korean Embassy Site (Gaoli Shiguan Yizhi) is in Baokui Lane inside Moon Lake Park, Haishu District, Ningbo. It was built in 1117 under Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song as the Gaoli Si, the office receiving Goryeo envoys and trading parties. The original buildings were destroyed in 1130 by Jin troops. A 1999 excavation found Song building remains, Yue ware celadon and hanping bottles; a display room on the site covers Mingzhou–Goryeo exchanges.

In 1117, Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song set up a "Goryeo Office" in Mingzhou and built this compound to receive Goryeo envoys and trading parties. The original buildings were destroyed in 1130 when Jin forces moved south. The site was listed as a Haishu District cultural relic in October 1984, and excavations in 1999 uncovered Song-era building remains, Yue ware celadon and Korean bottles.

The ruins show how Korean envoys lived and worked when visiting Ningbo. You can still see how the site was arranged and what role it played in connecting the two nations.

The site can be visited, though you should wear sturdy shoes as the ground is uneven and partially unpaved. Information on-site is limited, so it helps to read about the history beforehand.

The 1999 excavation on the original site found Song-era building remains together with large quantities of Yue ware celadon and Han bottles, the tall jars used for shipping liquids. Some scholars link the embassy to the Song porcelain trade, arguing that Korean celadon reached the Southern Song court by sea to the Mingzhou Gaoli Si and then onward to Hangzhou.