Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All South Korea Gyeongju Cheomseongdae
AO Edited

Cheomseongdae

Numerical symbolism abound at East Asia's oldest observatory.

Gyeongju, South Korea

Added By
Trevor David
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Cheomseongdae   Daniel Reynolds / CC BY 2.0
Cheomseongdae   Daniel Reynolds / CC BY 2.0
Cheomseongdae   Daniel Reynolds / CC BY 2.0
Cheomseongdae in autumn with pink muhly grass   josinevanheek / Atlas Obscura User
  Runawaydc / Atlas Obscura User
  Runawaydc / Atlas Obscura User
Cheomseongdae beyond a wild flower meadow   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
  parhessiastes
  Junho Jung
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Numbers are important at Cheomseongdae, the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia. Though the observatory's age (it dates back to the seventh-century Silla Kingdom of modern-day South Korea) can serve to obscure the original purposes of its design, some have claimed there is numerical significance imbued within every brick.

Cheomseongdae, which roughly translates to "star-gazing tower," is a cylindrical structure composed of 362 granite blocks, which some claim represents the 362 days of the lunar year. In total, there are 27 circular layers of stones, a number believed to reference the 27th ruler of the Silla Kingdom, Queen Seondeok, during whose reign the observatory was built. This numbers game continues further, as a window is placed strategically with 12 layers of stones above and 12 layers below, symbolizing the months of the year or the signs of the Zodiac. And if that weren't enough symbolism for one small building, the four-sided base is also thought to represent the seasons.

Regardless of the hidden numerical messages, the observatory is interesting in its own right. As one of the oldest scientific sites in the world, Cheomseongdae provides a window into how astronomy was conducted many hundreds of years ago. In those times, the line between astronomy and astrology was considerably blurred, and "astronomers" often reported their findings to the king's court so that various decisions of governance could be made based on celestial activities.

Despite its use for astrological predictions, Cheomseongdae was also the site of more traditional astronomical research. From the top of the tower, state-appointed astronomers made continuous observations 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, developing the ability to predict eclipses and chart the trajectories of comets. In fact, Cheomseongdae's importance, in both the histories of Korea and astronomy, earned it the distinction of a national treasure in 1962 and its image can even be found on Korean coins.

Related Tags

Towers History & Culture Astronomy Observatories Instruments Of Science Retro Tech Architectural Oddities Architecture

Community Contributors

Added By

Trevor

Edited By

katielou106, josinevanheek, Michelle Cassidy, Runawaydc

  • katielou106
  • josinevanheek
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Runawaydc

Published

August 15, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Wikipedia: Cheomseongdae: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheomseongdae
  • New World Encyclopedia: Cheomseongdae: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cheomseongdae
Cheomseongdae
839-1 Inwang-dong
Gyeongju, 780-150
South Korea
35.834683, 129.219063
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Pink Muhly Grass

Gyeongju, South Korea

miles away

Gyeongju Seokbinggo

Gyeongju, South Korea

miles away

Wolji Pond

Gyeongju, South Korea

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Gyeongju

Gyeongju

South Korea

Places 7
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Pink Muhly Grass

Gyeongju, South Korea

miles away

Gyeongju Seokbinggo

Gyeongju, South Korea

miles away

Wolji Pond

Gyeongju, South Korea

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Gyeongju

Gyeongju

South Korea

Places 7
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

12 Ancient Scientific Instruments You Can Still See Today

List

By Meg Neal

Related Places

  • Landskrona, Sweden

    Hven

    This Scandinavian island is the site of the first modern observatory.

  • IceCube Research Station

    Antarctica

    IceCube Research Station

    The world's largest neutrino telescope searches for secrets of the universe at the South Pole.

  • The azimuth theodolite.

    Beijing, China

    Beijing Ancient Observatory

    This ancient Chinese observatory still contains early astronomy technology.

  • The observatory stands in ruin today.

    Chichen Itza, Mexico

    El Caracol

    No telescopes, no power, no gift shop: The Observatory of Chichen Itza, one of the world's oldest observatories, takes astronomy back to basics.

  • Kielder, England

    Kielder Observatory

    England's "pier at the end of the universe" unites astronomy and contemporary architecture.

  • Swansea, Wales

    Tower of the Ecliptic Observatory

    Quirky Welsh observatory unites art and science.

  • Illustration of the Leviathan of Parsonstown (Rosse Six-Foot Telescope).

    Offaly, Ireland

    Leviathan of Parsonstown

    Behemoth, cannon-like telescope operated by generations of Irish earls.

  • Einsteinturm

    Potsdam, Germany

    Einsteinturm

    Solar observatory doubles as a daring display of Expressionist architecture, much to Einstein's chagrin.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.