Teachings of Shakyamuni and Du Fu Poetry Collection Published in Hangul Designated as Treasures

'The Great Wide and Vast Perfect Enlightenment Sutra (Eonhae) Volume Sang 1-2,'
'Classification and Study Translation (Eonhae) Volume 11'
King Yeongjo's Imperial Viewing Album, 'Gyeongjin Year Yeonhaengdo Album,'
Also Designated as National Treasures

The Great Wide and Vast Perception Sutra

'The Great Wide and Vast Perfect Enlightenment Sutra' (Daebanggwangwon-gak Sudarayoui-gyeong) is a Buddhist scripture in which Shakyamuni Buddha clarifies the profound principles and meditative practices of Perfect Enlightenment through a series of dialogues with twelve bodhisattvas. The text outlines methods of cultivating the mind to achieve complete enlightenment. It was widely circulated and adopted as a curriculum for spiritual practice in Goryeo-era temples.

'The Great Wide and Vast Perfect Enlightenment Sutra (Eonhae) Volume Sang 1-2,' held by the King Sejong Memorial Society, is based on the original manuscript by the Tang Dynasty monk Zongmi (780-841) and a version annotated in Hangul by King Sejo. It was printed in 1465 at the Jujaso (Type Foundry) using the metal movable type known as 'Eulyuja.'

On December 22, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced that it had designated this book, also known as the 'Wongakgyeong,' as Treasure No. 1219-4, along with 'Classification and Study Translation (Eonhae) Volume 11' as Treasure No. 1051-5, and the 'Gyeongjin Year Yeonhaengdo Album' as Treasure No. 2084.

Cases where 'Eulyuja' type was used, such as for 'The Great Wide and Vast Perfect Enlightenment Sutra (Eonhae) Volume Sang 1-2,' are rare. This is because the type was not used for long due to its lack of neatness. The metal type was even melted down in 1484 to cast new 'Gapjinja' type. Regarding the barely surviving 'The Great Wide and Vast Perfect Enlightenment Sutra (Eonhae) Volume Sang 1-2,' the Cultural Heritage Administration commented, "It is a valuable edition with very few extant copies," and added, "It serves as an important resource for the study of 15th-century Korean linguistics, bibliography, and the history of metal movable type printing."

Classification Study Commentary

'Classification and Study Translation (Eonhae) Volume 11' is a book compiled and translated into Hangul in 1481 by scholars from the Hongmungwan (the Royal Library of the Joseon Dynasty), including Ryu Yun-gyeom and Jo Wi, as well as Buddhist monk Uichim, under royal command. It contains the poems of Du Fu (712-770) from the Tang Dynasty. As the first translated poetry collection published after the creation of Hunminjeongeum, it holds significant literary value.

The book was printed using the 'Eulhaeja' metal movable type, cast in 1455. The 'Eulhae Hangul type,' also produced during this period, was used as well, making this book an important source for the study of Joseon's metal movable type printing history. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "This is the first edition printed with both Eulhaeja and Eulhae Hangul metal type," and added, "It preserves key features of early Hangul, such as the half-tooth sound (ㅿ), side dots (bangjeom), and velar sound (ㆁ), giving it significant historical value."

'Gyeongjin Year Yeonhaengdo Album' is an imperial viewing album created so that King Yeongjo could review the Dongji envoy mission. The Dongji envoy mission refers to the Joseon Dynasty's annual dispatch of envoys to the Ming and Qing dynasties around the winter solstice. About forty people, including the chief envoy, deputy envoy, document officer, attendant, protocol officer, physician, and painter, were sent to places such as Shenyang. The 'Gyeongjin Year Yeonhaengdo Album' documents the journey from November 2, 1760, to April 6, 1761. Hong Gyehui was recorded as the chief envoy, Jo Youngjin as the deputy envoy, and Lee Huijung as the document officer.

Gyeongjin Year Yeonhaengdo Album Shenyang Guandu Map

In Hong Gyehui's postscript, it is recorded that King Yeongjo ordered a thorough inspection of the old site of the Shenyang Guesthouse, where Crown Prince Sohyeon and Prince Bongnim had once been held. Hong Gyehui took painters to sites such as the Shenyang Guesthouse, Shanhaiguan, and the Confucian Temple in Beijing to have them create landscape paintings and architectural drawings. The Shenyang Guesthouse, also known as the Goryeo Guesthouse, was a Joseon diplomatic residence established in Shenyang in 1637. Crown Prince Sohyeon and Prince Bongnim were held there as hostages by the Qing from 1637 until 1644. Shanhaiguan, located at the eastern end of the Great Wall, was a key transportation and military hub. It is widely known as the site where the Qing army led by Wu Sangui clashed with the rebel forces of Li Zicheng in 1644.

The Cultural Heritage Administration explained that the paintings capturing these scenes "convey the vivid atmosphere of the sites through three-dimensional depictions of buildings. The bright colors and detailed renderings demonstrate the high standard of 18th-century royal documentary painting." They also noted, "King Yeongjo's calligraphy, scenes of the relevant historic sites, explanatory diagrams, and descriptive postscripts are all paired together, making it easy to understand the entire envoy mission. The album provides a comprehensive visual record of the political, diplomatic, and cultural landscape of the era, greatly enhancing its value as a visual historical resource."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.