
Registration of Korean Cultural Treasures as Parts of the World Heritages

  
information on Korean stamp
Date of Issue |
: 2004.12.09 |
Types |
: 2 |
Denomination |
: 310 won |
Design |
: The Daereungwon Tumuli Park |
Stamp No. |
: 2422 |
Printing Process
& Colors |
: Offset, six colors + Intaglio, one color |
Size of Stamp |
: 52×24 |
WholeSheet
Composition |
: 2×5 |
Image Area |
: 52×24 |
Paper |
: White Unwatermarked |
Perforation |
: 13 |
Printer |
: Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation |
Designer |
: Kim, So-jeong |
Quantity |
: 850000 |
Detail
` The ancient city of Gyeongju served as the capital city of the Silla Dynasty (B.C. 57 - A.D. 935) for a millennium, with such numerous treasures and relics preserved in the city that it deserves its reputation as a museum on its own. Enlisted as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 2000, the Gyeongju Historic Areas display in its entirety the grandiose history and culture of the Silla Dynasty.
According to the characteristics of each relic, the Gyeongju Historic Areas are divided into the five belts of Mt. Nam-san, Wolseong, Daeneungwon Tumuli Park, Hwangnyong-sa Temple, and Sanseong Fortress. At the Mt. Nam-san Belt, countless Buddhist relics can be found as it was deemed a sacred ground of Buddhism. The numerous Buddhist remains existing in this treasure house of ancient Buddhist art include the Najeong Well and the Poseokjeong Pavilion, which appear in the legend of the establishment of Silla, as well as the Mireukgok Stone Seated Buddha. Wolseong (Moon Palace) was named as such because its geographical terrain resembled the crescent moon, and it was the site of the royal palace for the dynasty that stood for a millennium. The Wolseong Belt includes Gyerim, which is identified by legend as the birthplace of Kim Al-ji, the founder of the Silla Dynasty, the Anapji Pond, as well as the Cheomseongdae Observatory. The Daeneungwon Tumuli Park Belt is an aggregation of royal tombs, in which over 250 mounds of kings, queens and nobles of the Silla Dynasty have been discovered so far. Royal crowns, the Cheonmado (mural painting of a flying horse), glasses, various ceramics and other precious relics that gives us a glimpse of the lifestyle of the times have been excavated from the royal tombs. The Hwangnyong-sa Temple Belt encompasses the remaining site of Hwangnyong-sa Temple, the largest of its kind built during the Silla Dynasty, as well as Bunhwang-sa Temple. From this area, 40,000 or more relics have been discovered that serve as valuable data for the historical research of the Silla Dynasty which exemplified the essence of Buddhism at the time. Moreover, the Sanseong Fortress site, which served as the final defensive line protecting and guarding the royal family, includes the Myeonghwal Fortress, assumed to have been built over 400 year ago, as well as the fortresses of Seohyeong and Namsan. The phenomenal construction techniques of the time influenced the fortification of castles in Japan.
The postage stamp illustrates the Daeneungwon Tumuli Park, the Seosuhyeong (auspicious animals) Ceramics, the royal crown of the Geumgwanchong (ancient royal tomb), as well as the Anapji Pond, the lion stone incense burner, the gold and bronze Buddhist sculptures, and gold and bronze scissors.`
