Tourist Attractions | When in Busan

Seokdang Museum of Dong-A University embraces the historic values of Korea

Go to the Provisional Government Building in Busan

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Registered Cultural Heritage No. 41, Provisional Government Building in Busan, and one of three top university museums in Korea
Dong-A University Seokdang Museum is a building that has three names.
Dong-A University purchased a building that had been used as the Provisional Government Building and the Busan District Public Prosecutors’ Office before transforming it into today’s Seokdang Museum. In 2002, it was designated as Registered Cultural Heritage No. 41 in recognition of the historical value of modern cultural heritage.

Seokdang Museum has about 30,000 relics, including 2 national treasures and 14 treasures. The history tour begins in the 2nd-floor exhibition hall, where visitors first learn the history of the museum. The relics from the prehistoric age, the Neolithic, Bronze, Iron Ages, and the Gaya period further enrich the historical value of the building.

Buddhist Art Gallery is designed to show the traces of outstanding Buddhist art during the Goryeo period, including Buddhist paintings, statues of Buddha, and Buddhist scriptures. We can’t help but marvel at consummate masters who blossomed Buddhism from a cultural perspective, not from a religious one.

The national treasure called Donggwoldo (The Eastern Palaces) is the pride of Seokdang Museum. It is exhibited in Calligraphy and Painting Gallery mainly composed of relics from the Joseon Dynasty. As National Treasure No. 249-2, it is a drawing of Changdeokgung Palace and Changgyeonggung Palace, both of which are located in the east of Gyeongbokgung Palace. This drawing depicts Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, surrounding royal palaces, and the gardens so in detail that it looks like a panoramic view. In addition, its magnificent size that occupies the entire exhibition wall is extremely overwhelming.

Another treasure of Seokdang Museum is the calligraphies of Ahn Jung-geun.
When Ahn Jung-geun was behind the bars in Lushun after assassinating Prince Itō Hirobumi, he left 200 calligraphy works, 26 of which have been designated as treasures and kept in Korea. This is one of them.
Gyeonlisaui gyeonwisumyeong
It means that the man who in view of gain thinks of righteousness, who in view of danger is prepared to give up his life. This must be the expression of his firm will.

The exhibition hall on the 3rd floor is an archive of the Provisional Government Building. It is intended to display its roof frame and members. This space also presents the methods for preserving the historical building and its future utilization, thus highly evaluated as a good example of reinterpretation and reconstruction of space.
Seokdang Museum features a wider spectrum of exhibition than any other museum, ranging from the prehistoric age to the modern times.
This museum is a great place to understand the history of Busan and the everlasting culture of Korea.

Overview

Address
225, Gudeok-ro, Seo-gu, Busan
Inquiry
+82-51-200-8493
Closing Dates
Every Monday, school anniversary, legal holidays
Hours
Tuesday–Sunday (days off excluded)
09:30−17:00 (enter at 16:30)
Service Fees
Free(except parking fees)
Traffic Information
Walk for 10 min from Exit 2 of Toseong Station on Busan Metro Line 1
Get off Bus 15,16, 40, 70, 81, 123, 126, 161, or 190 at Dong-A University Bumin Campus
Parking : Dong-A University Bumin Campus Underground Parking Lot (charged)