Cultural Heritage Administration Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Discovery of Cheonmachong with ‘Awaken, Cheonma 1973’

 -There will be 12 events throughout the year including a roundtable discussion in April; public viewing of the Cheonmado painting and media art show in May; and an exhibition of photograph contest winners in August-

The Cultural Heritage Administration (Administrator Choi Eung-Chon) will hold a series of events from April to December to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Cheonmachong Tomb (National Treasure No. 207), a royal tomb from Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.–A.D. 935).
The commemorative project is dubbed ‘Awaken, Cheonma 1973,’ which was the winner in the contest held between October and November of last year to choose the project’s title, emblem and slogan. The project is aimed at shedding new light on the Cheonmachong Tomb and the significances of Silla culture in the Korean history.

The excavation of the Cheonmachong - presumed to be constructed between the end of 5th century and the beginning of 6th century - is significant in the history of Korean archaeology in many ways. The exploration was planned in 1971 under the supervision of Korea’s central government, Cheongwadae. Two years later, a group of archaeological researchers was formed by the Bureau of Cultural Property (present-day Cultural Heritage Administration) for the excavation. It is considered the first-ever archeological exploration spearheaded by the state.

A total of 11,526 important artifacts were excavated from the Cheonmachong Tomb, four of which are national treasures and six, treasures. They include the famous painting of heavenly horse on a saddle flap (Cheonmado Jangni, a national treasure), a gold crown, and a gold belt. In particular, the Cheonmado painting - where the tomb’s name came from - is considered the only surviving Silla painting. For these reasons, the Cheonmachong Tomb is considered theepitome of Silla’s rich and colorful arts and culture.
*Horse flap (jangni): An accessory to a saddle. Ancient horsemen let the flap hang down on the sides to minimize dirt and mud splashes.

A total of 12 events have been planned for the commemorative project, all of which are aimed at helping people today understand better and appreciate more the Cheonmachong Tomb. The Cultural Heritage Administration will be working with five organizations involved in conservation, research, maintenance and utilization of the Cheonmachong Tomb. They are National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage; Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage; Gyeongju National Museum; Province of Gyeongsangbuk-do; and City of Gyeongju.

▲ A roundtable discussion of the researchers who took part in the 1973 excavation will kick off the commemoration events on April 6; ▲followed by a declaration on May 4 on the vision for the 50th anniversary of the discovery of Cheonmachong. ▲Cheonmado Jangni will be displayed for the public for the first time since an exhibition back in 2014, at Gyeongju National Museum from May 4 to July 16; ▲and a media art show will light up the night sky above Cheonmachong from May 4 to June 4. ▲ There will also be a symposium (Oct. 25 to 26) and a forum to examine Cheonmachong’s significance.
More details about each event can be viewed at the website(https://천마총발굴50년.kr) once they are finalized.

In addition, the present-daytomb complex where Cheonmachong is located was created after the excavation of the Cheonmachong Tomb. When it opened in 1976, it garnered much attention as it was Korea’s only ancient tomb, at that time, where people could actually go inside and take a look around. Even today, the tomb complex is a beloved destination for tourists and school trips, along with Cheomseongdae (the seventh-century stone structure thought to have been an astronomical observatory), Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto. As one of the key tourist sites in the region, the tomb complex around Cheonmachong attracts a million visitors every year. Most recently, it ranked as the top tourist destination among the younger generation.

The Cultural Heritage Administration hopes the public will reflect on the significance of the Cheonmachong Tomb and renew their pride for the cultural heritage site. It also hopes topromote Silla’s arts and culture to people today as well as generations to come and help them appreciate it more by actively participating in the events.

Contact person: Jung Ja-young (054-777-6726)
Lee Song-yi (054-777-6729)