Byeokgolje Museum of Agricultural Culture (벽골제 농경문화 박물관)

– Tel
+82-63-540-4989

The largest irrigation facility in Korea, Byeokgolje Reservoir (Historic Site) is considered the birthplace of Korea’s rice-farming culture. All that remains of the reservoir today are a three-kilometer long embankment that spans from Sinyong-ri to Wolseung-ri in Buryang-myeon, Gimje-si and a monument that was erected in 1415. The Byeokgolje Museum of Agricultural Culture exhibits around 250 artifacts related to rice farming; located within the same complex is an experience center where visitors can discover many properties of irrigation facilities first-hand.

– Address : 442, Byeokgolje-ro, Gimje-si, Jeonbuk-do

※ Presentation Information
– Information and Guides
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330
(Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

• For more info: +82-63-540-4989

– Parking
Available (1,700 spaces)

– Parking Fee
Free

– Day Off
Mondays, New Year’s Day

– Usage Fee
Free

– Operating Hours
November-February 09:00-17:00
March-October 09:00-18:00

– Scale
2,183.6 m²

– Foreign Language Intepretation Services
Available (Chinese, Japanese)

◎ Nearby Tourism Infobox

⊙ Byeokgolje Reservoir Site (김제 벽골제)

View detailed guide on Korea Trip Guide →

– Homepage
www.gimje.go.kr

– Tel
+82-63-540-4094

Byeokgolje Reservoir Site is home to the embankment and stele recording reconstruction for Korea’s first ever reservoir. Records show it was rebuilt in the 6th year of King Wonseong of Silla (790), the 21st year of King Hyeonjong and King Injong of Goryeo (1143), and then again in the 15th year of King Taejong of Joseon (1415). It was lost due to heavy rain in 1420 (the 2nd year of King Sejong’s reign).

Currently, only about 3 kilometers of straight embankment remains on the site. In 1925, the Dongjin Land Improvement Association remodeled this embankment and used it as a channel for providing water for farming, thus losing a lot of its original appearance. A monument was erected on the north side of the embankment to commemorate the rebuilding of Byeokgolje Reservoir during the Joseon Dynasty. However, it is difficult to read the writing because it is worn out.

In 1975, two sites with water gates that controlled the water in the reservoir were excavated, and the results showed that the construction used large-scale, high-level engineering technology. Byeokgolje Reservoir is not only significant in that it was Korea’s first reservoir but also proves that the country’s civil engineering technology was developed enough to build such a reservoir at the time, revealing a groundbreaking fact in the history of science and technology in Korea.

Nearby tourist attractions can be visited together: Byeokgolje Agricultural Museum, where you can get a glimpse of the old agricultural culture, Theme and Experience Space for Agriculture, and Byeokcheon Art Gallery, which displays the works of Na Sang-mok, an Oriental Painting artist in Korea.

* Pets are allowed; however, a leash is required.

⊙ Gimje Horizon Festival (김제지평선축제)

– Homepage
festival.gimje.go.kr

– Tel
+82-63-540-3037

In Korea, finding an unobstructed horizon is a rarity, making Gimje’s expansive horizon a unique and stunning sight. Held in the autumn when the fields are tinged with gold, the Gimje Horizon Festival celebrates this unique landscape. The festival aims to promote Gimje’s famous rice and preserve traditional agricultural culture based on the theme of, “where the land meets the sky.” The torch parade at night is the highlight of the festival. The spectacular performance in front of the huge twin dragon sculptures standing at the center of the Byeokgolje Reservoir (Historic Site No. 111) perfectly captures the festival’s vibrant and passionate atmosphere. Throughout the festival venue, there are farming activities, such as harvesting rice and threshing, as well as rural experiences of the past, such as catching grasshoppers and riding an ox cart.

◎ Byeokgolje Reservoir
Built during the Baekje period, the manmade reservoir shows the wisdom of Korea’s ancestors and the old agricultural system. On the embankment more than 3 kilometers long, five floodgates were installed to discharge water into the rice fields.

⊙ Arirang Literature Museum (조정래 아리랑문학관)

View detailed guide on Korea Trip Guide →

– Tel
+82-63-540-3934

Located in Gimje, Jeollabuk-do, Arirang Literature Museum (Jo Jung-rae Arirang Literature Museum) was opened in May, 2003. The museum displays materials related to Jo Jung-rae’s novel “Arirang,” a work praised to have x_heightened Korea’s literature standards in aspects of cultural, literary, and popular value. “Arirang” takes place during the time of Japanese colonization, vividly describing the pain and common racial values which people shared as a whole amidst the suffering and efforts that were made to bring Korea’s independence a step closer.

Byeokgolje Museum of Agricultural Culture (벽골제 농경문화 박물관)