Wanggung-ri

Wanggung-ri is an archaeological site in Iksan that preserves the remains of a royal palace with visible stone structures and building foundations that visitors can see today. The on-site museum displays thousands of artifacts recovered through decades of excavation work.

The site began as a royal palace during the Baekje Kingdom, one of the major states on the Korean Peninsula. When that kingdom fell in the 7th century, the location was repurposed and eventually developed into a Buddhist temple complex.

The site reveals through its displays how skilled craftspeople created refined objects that reflect the tastes and abilities of ancient inhabitants. Visitors walking through the museum can sense the level of sophistication that once existed in this place.

The museum on-site helps visitors understand what they are seeing on the grounds and provides information to make sense of the excavated structures. Walking through the site is straightforward, with good markers to find your way between different sections.

A five-story stone tower stands on the grounds today and holds within it religious objects from medieval times that were carefully placed there long ago. This structure connects the site's past as a palace with its later role as a spiritual center.