Mokpo 'Cheonghaesa' Cultural Heritage Administration Affiliated Institution Attraction

Rebirth of Excavated Artifacts from April 2024 as a Historical and Cultural Space

Mokpo Cheonghaesa has been transformed into an agency under the Cultural Heritage Administration. Photo by Mokpo City

[Mokpo=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] On the 21st, Mokpo City in Jeollanam-do announced that Cheonghaesa Temple has been selected for the local excavation relics historical and cultural space creation project, transforming it into a new cultural space.

The excavation relics historical and cultural space to be created in Mokpo is a project that utilizes idle local facilities to efficiently and systematically store and manage unassigned excavation relics, and to create a cultural space by using it as a place for history education and experience.

In March last year, the city submitted the red brick warehouse in Manho-dong to the Cultural Heritage Administration as the target site for the creation project, but since the brick warehouse was private property and difficult to purchase, the target site was changed to Cheonghaesa Temple, which can be lent free of charge when used by a national institution.

Afterwards, through consultations with the Cultural Heritage Administration, Jeollanam-do Office of Education, and others, Cheonghaesa Temple was utilized as an excavation relics historical and cultural space for storing, exhibiting, and experiencing excavation relics.

Cheonghaesa Temple was built in 1979 as a dormitory for high school girls who came to Mokpo from the island to study, but it closed in 2003 and was not used for nearly 20 years due to four failed sales attempts.

The city has made various efforts such as public contests to reuse the vacant Cheonghaesa building for several years, and eventually attracted an institution under the Cultural Heritage Administration. This also resolved the problem of idle buildings in the downtown area and inconveniences to nearby residents.

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to complete the basic and detailed design from April, finish construction in 2023, transfer relics by March 2024, and open the facility.

To this end, the city plans to carry out building use changes, secure access roads, and adjust the usage period of small neighborhood parking lots, while the Jeollanam-do Office of Education, which manages Cheonghaesa, plans to implement free use and remodeling permits.

A city official stated, “It is significant in that the existing building is being used as a government-operated complex cultural space, and cultural tourism facilities linked with the National Maritime Cultural Heritage Research Institute located at Gatbawi have been expanded.”

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