Excavation area at the presumed Yongsangsa Temple site in Paju. Photo by National Research Institute of Seoul Cultural Heritage.
A temple site known in historical records as Yongsangsa in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, is drawing renewed attention as archaeological investigations begin to reveal its possible physical remains. The site is historically associated with King Hyeonjong of Goryeo, who is said to have briefly stayed there while fleeing south from the Goryeo capital of Gaegyeong during Khitan invasions in the early 11th century.
Only brief references to the temple’s location near the slopes of Wollongsan remain in historical texts including the “Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam,” a geography book compiled during the early Joseon period. Until now, its exact location and scale had never been clearly identified.
According to the National Research Institute of Seoul Cultural Heritage under the Korea Heritage Service, an on-site public briefing will be held at 2 p.m. on May 15 at the excavation area in Deogeun-ri, Wollong-myeon, Paju. The event will introduce the results of the investigation and publicly reveal excavated remains and artifacts discovered during the survey.
View of the excavation site at the presumed Yongsangsa Temple location in Paju. Photo by National Research Institute of Seoul Cultural Heritage.
The temple’s location had long remained uncertain due to changes in terrain over time and the lack of detailed historical records. The mountainous landscape and dense forest environment also made systematic field investigations difficult. However, the presumed area began to narrow after an academic survey of abandoned Buddhist temple sites conducted by the Buddhist community in 2010.
Based on those findings, the research institute launched a full-scale excavation in 2024. During the excavation process, building remains and various artifacts began to emerge from underground.
Current excavation results show three building sites constructed on flattened ground reinforced with stone walls along a steep northeastern valley area. The remains contain overlapping construction traces dating from the Goryeo Dynasty through the Joseon period, suggesting the temple continued operating over a long period of time.
Metal artifacts excavated from a pit at the presumed Yongsangsa Temple site in Paju. Photo by National Research Institute of Seoul Cultural Heritage.
Artifacts recovered from the site include a “toesu-dae,” a facility used for disposing of ritual water and offerings during Buddhist ceremonies, along with a vajra bell used in rituals, bronze lampstands, bronze spoons, iron scissors, celadon shards with inlay decoration, flower-shaped cups, kettles, buncheong ware, white porcelain, and roof tiles.
Researchers noted that multiple metal craft objects were discovered buried together within a single pit, a finding considered important for tracing the ritual practices of the temple.
If the site is ultimately confirmed as Yongsangsa Temple, it would provide archaeological evidence for the refuge route taken by King Hyeonjong during the Khitan invasions, as well as the existence of a Buddhist temple connected to national defense during the Goryeo period.
Researchers also believe the findings could help reconstruct broader patterns of Buddhist culture and local power structures in the Paju region by linking the site with nearby Goryeo- and Joseon-period remains, including the Deogeun-ri archaeological site.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
* This article was manually prepared as a translated piece and later proofread and reviewed with the assistance of AI.
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