Eleven Hours Needed to Look around New National Museum

The National Central Museum in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, scheduled to be open to public on October 28, was opened to news reporters yesterday. The new museum is about 8,100 pyeong and contains 51 exhibition rooms and six pavilions under themes such as antiquities, history, and Asia in two three-story buildings. Thirteen national treasures including Geumdonggwan, a gilt bronze crown excavated in a tomb, Gyeongju, and a total of 11,000 pieces of relics will be displayed in the museum. To see the entire museum, it is estimated to take an adult about 11 hours by walking because of the total length of four kilometers. This picture shows the Goryeo Dynasty’s iron Buddha statues and the Shilla Dynasty’s stone statues at the museum’s Buddhist sculpture room, which can be appreciated with natural lighting. The National Central Museum is open to the public for free until the end of this year.

Won-Gun Shin laputa@donga.com