Cheomseongdae

A building used as an observatory for observing the stars during the Silla Dynasty

Cheomseongdae is known as the oldest astronomical observatory in the East. It is located in the middle of Wolseong, the palace of Silla, and Daeneungwon (Heavenly Machong), where the royal tombs of Silla are clustered like a mountain. Cheomseongdae was built during the reign of Queen Seondeok (635-647).

Designated National Treasure No. 31, Cheomseongdae is a round, urn-shaped stone tower about 9 meters tall, with 27 curved stones stacked tightly on top of a square foundation stone, and a wide square stone placed on top like a lid. A square, window-like entrance measuring about 1 meter in length and width was created on the south side of the center, and traces of a ladder can still be seen here. It is highly regarded as a building that stands out for its elegant curves and the exquisite harmony of squares and circles, which are unique to Silla, and is one of the most representative buildings of Silla.

At the entrance to Cheomseongdae, there is a small video booth called Digital Cheomseongdae, which provides easy-to-understand explanations of Cheomseongdae in multiple languages, including its structure and related stories.