'Secrets of the Goryeo Sea', Traces of Maritime Exchange 800 Years Ago... Ulsan Museum Hosts Special Exhibition

September 6 to December 11, Co-planned with the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage

Mado Line 1 Restoration Model (National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage).

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Ulsan Museum will hold the 3rd special exhibition of the year, "Secrets of the Goryeo Sea, Traces of Maritime Exchange 800 Years Ago," from September 6 to December 11 in the museum's first-floor special exhibition hall.

The exhibition is jointly planned by the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage, the central institution of underwater archaeology in Korea, and Ulsan Museum, and is being held in Ulsan, which has well preserved the history of maritime exchange.

This exhibition features Chinese porcelain and various artifacts excavated from the Sinan shipwreck (sank in 1323), which was underwater excavated in 1976, as well as Goryeo celadon and cargo tag wooden and bamboo slips excavated from the Gunsan Sipidongpado shipwreck (12th century), Taean shipwreck (sank in 1131), Taean Mado No. 1 shipwreck (estimated sank in 1208), Mado No. 2 shipwreck (sank before 1213), Mado No. 3 shipwreck (operated and sank between 1265 and 1268), Mado No. 4 shipwreck (sank in the early 15th century), and the Jindo Myeongnyang Battle site, as well as Goryeo celadon excavated from the Yeonjado site off the coast of Onsan, Ulju.

It also introduces maritime transportation and exchange during the Goryeo period, as well as onboard life culture.

The exhibition is divided into three parts: ▲ "Your Sea - Sinan Ship and East Asian Maritime Exchange," ▲ "My Sea - Goryeo Maritime Exchange," and ▲ "One Sea."

The first part, "Your Sea - Sinan Ship and East Asian Maritime Exchange," focuses on the excavation artifacts of the Sinan ship, a Yuan Dynasty vessel and the starting point of underwater excavation in Korea in 1976, introducing international exchanges conducted on the Maritime Silk Road based on the navigation techniques of the time.

The second part, "My Sea - Goryeo Maritime Exchange," highlights the sea routes connecting domestic regions during the Goryeo period, exhibiting transport ships, major cargo, and celadon.

The third part, "One Sea," introduces the lives of people during the Goryeo period who lived centered around the sea through items used by sailors on board and high-quality celadon excavated from the Yeonjado site in Ulju.

This special exhibition displays 334 actual artifacts and 11 models, along with 6 videos, including some underwater cultural heritage items owned by the National Maritime Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall (Mokpo) and Taean Maritime Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall, materials loaned from the National Museum of Korea and Gwangju National Museum, and artifacts excavated from the Yeonjado site at Ulsan Museum.

Blue-glazed lion-shaped incense burner.

Key exhibits include the celadon lion-shaped lidded incense burner (Cheongja Saja Moyang Ddeulgeun Hyangno), designated as a treasure in April this year; celadon inlaid plum, reed, bamboo, and floral-patterned maebyeong vases (Cheongja Sanggam Beodnamu, Galdae, Daenamu, Kkotmun Maebyeong) and bamboo slips (Jukchal); celadon lotus-patterned maebyeong vase (Cheongja Eumgok Yeonhwa Jeolji Mun Maebyeong); celadon toad-shaped inkstone (Cheongja Du-kkobi Moyang Byeoru); Yuan Dynasty celadon and various artifacts excavated from the Sinan shipwreck; underwater excavated celadon, wooden slips, and pottery; and celadon pillows, celadon cups, and pottery excavated from Yeonjado in Ulju.

Celadon lotus pattern maebyeong vase.

During the exhibition period, related educational programs, curator talks, and film screenings will be held regularly to enhance understanding of the exhibition.

Shin Hyung-seok, director of Ulsan Museum, said, "This is the first time underwater cultural heritage from the southwestern sea is exhibited in Ulsan. Since these artifacts are rarely seen, we hope many people visit to experience the achievements of domestic underwater archaeology and the history of maritime transportation and exchange, helping them recognize history from a new perspective."

Lee Gyu-hoon, acting director of the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage, said, "We are pleased to exhibit underwater cultural heritage from the southwestern sea in Ulsan. We hope the two institutions will continue active exchanges on the theme of maritime and exchange, and we thank everyone involved for their efforts toward a successful exhibition."

Ulsan Museum, along with its branch Ulsan Daegok Museum and Yaksadong Embankment Site Exhibition Hall, actively promotes various special exhibitions and thematic exhibitions annually to explore Ulsan's identity and share local history with citizens, publishing exhibition catalogs and academic series, holding academic conferences, and operating educational and cultural programs, receiving enthusiastic responses from the public.

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