1,467 Stars Illuminate Cheomseongdae... Media Facade Unveiled for APEC Summit

Recreating Silla Astronomy Through Video
Introducing Korea's Scientific Heritage to Leaders of 21 Nations

Gyeongju Cheomseongdae Media Facade

The entire exterior wall of Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju was illuminated with the Milky Way and constellations. On the evening of October 20, ahead of the 2025 APEC Summit, the Cultural Heritage Administration and Gyeongju City unveiled the "Cheomseongdae Media Facade" for the first time.

Cheomseongdae, built during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla, is the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia, standing about 9 meters tall and constructed with 27 layers of stones. This new video presentation departs from the traditional floodlighting method, instead using projection mapping technology to utilize the entire exterior wall and recreate Silla's astronomy and culture.

The approximately seven-minute video consists of two parts: "Time of the Stars" and "Land of Gold." It begins with a Silla astronomer observing the stars from Cheomseongdae. Soon, a meteor shower and comets appear across the entire exterior wall. The Four Guardian Deities of the sky-Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise-also make their appearances in sequence.

Next, 1,467 stars and 28 constellations from the "Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido," a celestial chart created in the fourth year of King Taejo of Joseon (1395), emerge one by one. The Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido is a stone-carved celestial map created by eleven astronomers, including Gwon Geun and Yu Bangtaek, based on the Goguryeo star chart. It is the second oldest in the world after the Sunwoo Celestial Chart of Southern Song China. In the video, the constellations from this star map and the silhouette of Cheomseongdae are artfully superimposed.

Gyeongju Cheomseongdae Media Facade

Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Gyeongju, stated, "I hope that the scientific spirit and culture of the Silla people will be revived through light and storytelling, turning this site into a nighttime attraction for visitors from around the world." A representative from the Cultural Heritage Administration commented, "This will be an opportunity for Cheomseongdae to become established as a living culture, rather than simply a historical monument."

The video will be screened every day from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at one-hour intervals until November 1, when the APEC Summit is held. During this period, Cheomseongdae will serve as a major cultural event venue introducing Korean astronomy to the leaders of the 21 member countries and international visitors. Mayor Joo added, "After the event, we plan to gather feedback from citizens and experts to consider whether to make the screenings a permanent feature."

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