An Archaeological Study Tour
South Korea with Gaeseong, North Korea
15 Days
May 19 - June 2, 2009
Led by Professor Donald Baker


This tour will focus on the political and historical aspects of Korea, a country that became widely known to the West as the “Land of the Morning Calm” only in the mid-19th century. Yet despite its relative obscurity, Korea claims a long history of dynastic kingdoms that stretches back over 5,000 years and places it in the heart of Northeast Asian political and cultural developments.

The tour will begin in Seoul, center of both an aristocratic literati culture that flourished for five centuries, up until the early 20th century and the continental expansionist ambitions of the Japanese empire in the 20th century. As the capital of the Joseon-dynasty (1392-1910), Seoul is home to a number of royal edifices, two of which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Royal Shrines (Jong-myo) and the Changdeok-gung Palace complex. Seoul will also serve as the launch for a number of day trips, to the historic kilns reproducing the renowned Goryeo celadon, fortresses that protected Seoul in centuries past, and Gaeseong, the capital of Korea from the 10th through the 14th centuries, in a rare trip north of the Demilitarized Zone that has divided North and South Korea since the end of the Korean War. After five days in the capital, the tour will continue by traveling southwest to visit the archaeological sites of the ancient Baekje kingdom (18 BCE-660), which include royal tombs and Buddha sculptures; monumental evidences of Catholicism in 19th-century Joseon Korea; and traditional Korean villages. We will then continue eastward toward Gyeongju, capital of the Silla kingdom, which first united the peninsula, taking in a number of spectacular Buddhist temples and scenic mountains en route. On the return to Seoul, the tour will pass through smaller villages that house different vestiges of Korea's past, including a Confucian academy, a mask museum and unusual Buddhist paintings.

Tuesday, May 19: SEOUL: Independent arrivals into Seoul Tuesday evening. We will have time to rest at the centrally located Lotte Seoul Hotel before our opening dinner.
Meals: Dinner

Wednesday, May 20: SEOUL: After an introductory lecture, our touring begins at the newly installed National Museum. Among its thousands of artifacts are over one hundred National Treasures. We continue to the Baekje-dynasty Mongchon Fortress, which is one of three such sites in Seoul, and the eight Baekje tombs at Seokchon-dong, the first of many we will see. Our day ends at Amsa-dong Prehistoric Village, which dates to the 4th or 5th century BCE.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, May 21: SEOUL: Today’s touring takes us to royal Seoul and includes the colorful changing of the guard ceremony at the Gyeongbok-gung Palace, the Royal Museum, the Jong-myo (Royal Ancestor Shrine), the City Gates and South Gate market. Lastly, we visit the Changdeok-gung palace and its Biwon (secret garden), created for the exclusive use of the royal family and palace women. This tranquil woodland of pavilions, ponds, streams and paths may be the epitome of Joseon-dynasty garden design. The palace was constructed from 1405 to 1412 and, after a fire, was reconstructed in 1610. We will have time to explore the sprawling Namdaemun Market before returning to our hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, May 22: SEOUL: We will spend the full day out of the city visiting the Tomb of King Sejong (1397-1460), the Joseon dynasty’s greatest ruler, and a small site museum. We will then visit the Haegang kilns and Museum, which will give us an opportunity to learn about celadon production. This potter’s father was instrumental in the revival of the art of making celadon pottery using traditional step kilns. Our last stop will be the Suwon Fortress, built by King Jeongjo in 1794. Extending over five kilometers, this great Joseon- dynasty fortress is considered the masterpiece of Korean fortress construction. We will walk on the walls and examine its gates before returning to Seoul to attend a performance of traditional music and dance at the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, May 23: SEOUL: Today we will travel into North Korea, where we will visit Gaesong (ancient Koryo), the capital of the Goryeo-dynasty (918-1392). We will visit the modern town and as many ancient sites as are permitted, including the Goryeo Museum, the Sungyang Seowan, a Confucian academy, and the Sonjuk Bridge, a small clapper bridge built in 1216. This will be a fascinating experience and an opportunity to learn about the problems facing the two Koreas, arbitrarily created at the end of WWII, that epitomize the divided nature of Korean nationalism in the latter half of the 20th century.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Sunday, May 24: JEONJU: Traveling south from Seoul, we enter the countryside, lush with rice paddies and farms. Our first stop will be a replica of the Baekje-period Tomb of King Muryeong and his Queen and two other royal tombs in Gongju. Each tomb has a uniquely constructed burial chamber. After examining the material from these tombs at the Gongju National Museum, we continue to Buyeo to complete our touring of Baekje tombs. An exhibition hall illustrates how each of these seven tombs are different from each other and from those seen in Gongju. The Buyeo National Museum displays the region’s artifacts, including a wonderful collection of roof tiles and material from a 7th century BCE village site. Lastly, we stop at Gwanchok-sa, a small temple with the largest free-standing stone Buddha image in the country. Core Rivera Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, Tuesday, May 25 & 26: GWANGJU: Touring begins at the walled compound of Gyeonggi-jeon, the Jeonju Yi family shrine and former repository of the Joseon-dynasty records. Across the street is Jeondong Cathedral, one of the country’s earliest Catholic, churches built to mark the site where a century-long persecution of Catholics began in the late 18th century. After visiting other Joseon-dynasty monuments, we will explore Hanok Maeul, where several hundred traditional Korean houses line the winding lanes, forming one of the largest concentrations of these houses in the country. Our day ends in Gwangju at the Gwangju Folk Museum, where the exhibits portray all aspects of Korean life. Tuesday, touring includes the Gwangju National Museum and a drive into the countryside south of the city to the Unju-sa Temple, renowned for one-of-a-kind stone pagodas and Buddha figures. According to ancient myths these stone objects were carved here to correct the weight imbalance caused by the mountain chains along Korea’s east coast. The region is renowned for its huge concentration of ancient dolmen. The dolmen type we will see here are unique to the very south of Korea. Hiddink Contental Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily & 1 dinner

Wednesday, May 27: DAEGU: This fabulous day takes us into the Jiri mountains to one of Korea’s largest and most respected temples, Hwaeom-sa. Founded in 544 during Buddhism’s early years in Korea, Hwaeom-sa houses a number of National Treasures, including a stone-carved copy of part of the Hwaeom Sutra. We climb a winding, wooded path to our second stop, Haein-sa Temple. This famous temple houses the more than 80,000 carved wood print blocks known as the Koreana Tripitaka, which is the bulk of the Buddhist canon of literature. Our day ends in Daegu with a walk through the traditional-medicine market. Among these streets and alleys one can find herbs, roots, tree bark, dried centipedes and whatever else might be used in traditional medicine. Daegu Grand Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, May 28: BUSAN: Today’s touring will include the Daegu National Museum, Gimhae, once the political center of the Gaya kingdom, Bokcheon-dong mound tombs and the many sites of the port city of Busan. Weston Chosun Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, Saturday, May 29 & 30: GYEONGJU: We will arrive at Tongdo-sa in time for morning services. The chanting and drumming of the monks add to the serene atmosphere in this lovely complex. Our two-day stay in the ancient capital of the Silla kingdom, Gyeongju, will give us ample time to visit its royal tombs, temples, palace sites, fortress ruins, pagodas and rock sculptures, as well as the wonderful treasures in its National Museum. We will explore the amazing and varied temples and rock carvings spread across the hills and valleys of Nam san. One of the highlights of our stay will be the visits to Seokguram Grotto, modeled after India and China’s cave temples, and Bulguksa Temple, which represents the high point of Silla-dynasty architecture. Hilton Hotel
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily

Sunday, Monday, May 31 & June 1: SEOUL: En route to Seoul, we will visit the charming Hahoe Mask Museum and view the unusual Jebiwon Buddha. We will stop at the Sosu Confucian School, one of the oldest and most interesting. Here we will have an opportunity to see the living quarters as well as the classrooms of a traditional Confucian Academy. And lastly, we visit the greatly venerated Buseok-sa Temple, home to some of the oldest mural paintings in Korea. Monday, our last day in Korea, will be completely at leisure. In the evening we will meet for our farewell dinner at one of the city’s fine restaurants. Lotte Seoul Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast daily, I lunch & farewell dinner

Tuesday, June 2: Independent departures.
Meals: Breakfast