
Digital Restoration of North Korean Heritage: Goguryeo’s Geumgangsa Temple (Cheongam-ri Site, Pyongyang)
Published
March 7, 2019
As part of the Three Kingdoms exhibition at the National Buyeo Museum, TRIC digitally restored key historic temple sites
Among these, the restoration of the Cheongam-ri site stands out as one of the very few digital restoration cases of North Korean architectural heritage, alongside the Manwoldae royal palace site in Kaesong.
North Korean scholars identify Cheongam-ri as the site of Geumgangsa, a grand Goguryeo temple built under King Munjamyeong. Central to the site is a massive octagonal wooden pagoda base, approximately 10 meters wide and 25 meters long, supporting this hypothesis. The scale of the base suggests the pagoda may have reached a height of at least 61 meters over seven stories—comparable in stature to Hwangnyongsa’s legendary wooden pagoda. Its layout, featuring a single pagoda and three main halls (1 pagoda, 3 golden halls), is thought to have influenced temple architecture in Silla and Japan. Though the initial video content was released in 2014, TRIC has maintained a verified 3D digital restoration database of the temple, authenticated with expert consultation. As a result, the model is readily usable for immersive media including VR and AR, opening the door for next-generation cultural heritage experiences. Imagine stepping into a towering Goguryeo temple through virtual reality—it’s a thrilling bridge to the ancient past.
North Korean scholars identify Cheongam-ri as the site of Geumgangsa, a grand Goguryeo temple built under King Munjamyeong. Central to the site is a massive octagonal wooden pagoda base, approximately 10 meters wide and 25 meters long, supporting this hypothesis. The scale of the base suggests the pagoda may have reached a height of at least 61 meters over seven stories—comparable in stature to Hwangnyongsa’s legendary wooden pagoda. Its layout, featuring a single pagoda and three main halls (1 pagoda, 3 golden halls), is thought to have influenced temple architecture in Silla and Japan. Though the initial video content was released in 2014, TRIC has maintained a verified 3D digital restoration database of the temple, authenticated with expert consultation. As a result, the model is readily usable for immersive media including VR and AR, opening the door for next-generation cultural heritage experiences. Imagine stepping into a towering Goguryeo temple through virtual reality—it’s a thrilling bridge to the ancient past.
North Korean scholars identify Cheongam-ri as the site of Geumgangsa, a grand Goguryeo temple built under King Munjamyeong. Central to the site is a massive octagonal wooden pagoda base, approximately 10 meters wide and 25 meters long, supporting this hypothesis. The scale of the base suggests the pagoda may have reached a height of at least 61 meters over seven stories—comparable in stature to Hwangnyongsa’s legendary wooden pagoda. Its layout, featuring a single pagoda and three main halls (1 pagoda, 3 golden halls), is thought to have influenced temple architecture in Silla and Japan. Though the initial video content was released in 2014, TRIC has maintained a verified 3D digital restoration database of the temple, authenticated with expert consultation. As a result, the model is readily usable for immersive media including VR and AR, opening the door for next-generation cultural heritage experiences. Imagine stepping into a towering Goguryeo temple through virtual reality—it’s a thrilling bridge to the ancient past.
share this news
We preserve heritage, and share its worth with the world.
We preserve heritage, and share its worth with the world.
We preserve heritage, and share its worth with the world.
Previous



September 17, 2019
2019 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism – Connecting Cities: Samarkand
2019 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism – Connecting Cities: Samarkand
2019 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism – Connecting Cities: Samarkand
Next


