Buan Celadon Museum
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Location1493, Cheongja-ro Boan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryTour/ Cultural Facilities
- Korean부안 청자 박물관
- Chinese扶安靑瓷博物館
- FieldCulture & Education / Education
- Contents TypePlace Name / Facility
- Original Location1493, Cheongja-ro Boan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Current Location1493, Cheongja-ro Boan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Definition
- A public museum in the theme of Goryeo ware located in Yucheon-ri, Boan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Summary
- Buan Celadon Museum aims to be a landmark of culture and tourism by organizing special exhibitions with the theme of Goryeo ware, disseminating brochures, and holding academic seminars and celadon-making programs year-round.
- Background of Construction
- Located in Buan, the former center of celadon production sites dating back to the mid-Goryeo dynasty, the Buan Celadon Museum was built to promote the culture of Goryeo ware originating from Buan region, exhibit and research authentic celadon works, and preserve & run the national historic site in Yucheon-ri and Jinseo-ri, respectively designated as the Historic Site No. 69 and No. 70.
- Development
- The construction of the Buan Celadon Museum was planned on a part of the site 798-4 Yucheon-ri where Yucheon Elementary School once stood near Yucheon-ri, referred to as the Historic Site No. 69. After the land was purchased and administrative procedures completed, its construction began in 2006. By December 31, 2010, the exhibition and program buildings were finished, and on April 7, 2011, the museum opened to visitors. On April 22, a ceremony to commemorate the grand opening took place. On April 26, the Buan Celadon Museum was registered as a Category 1 Specialty Museum. The site where the museum stands today was formerly Yucheon Elementary School, which opened on March 1, 1944 and closed on December 15, 1999.
- Composition
- The Buan Celadon Museum is housed in a three-storied building with 5,610 ㎡ in floor area on the site measuring 67,097 ㎡ in total. Main facilities include the Exhibition Hall for permanent exhibitions, the Program Hall where visitors can experience making celadons, an outdoor park marking historic sites on a stroll, a pavilion housing two kilns where Goryeo celadons were once fired, and the creative ceramic studio for artists in addition to convenience spots, including a cafeteria, a shop, a parking lot, outdoor toilets, and a plaza. The Exhibition Hall has seven rooms on two floors: the Celadon History Area, the Highly Valuable Goryeo Ware Exhibition Area, the Celadon Production Area, the Celadon-making Program, the 4D Video Room, the Special Exhibition Area, and storage. The rooms on the second floor of the Exhibition Hall display over 100 original Goryeo celadons and some 200 fragments archeologists discovered from the site of ancient kilns. They enable visitors to feel the historic importance of Goryeo ware and the beauty of the Korean cultural heritage. On the first floor are rooms where visitors can view the production process of Goryeo ware in actual size and take part in various programs like solving quizzes, sending postcards, drawing, taking photographs, and solving celadon puzzles. In the 4D Video Room, visitors can watch a four-dimensional animated video featuring a young ceramic artist named “Yucheon” who provides context about Goryeo ware. Throughout the year, the Program Hall offers an experiential program to make celadons. The hall is large enough to accommodate up to 180 people per session.
- Current Status
- The Buan Celadon Museum is directly managed and operated by the Buan County Office. There are 13 employees on staff, including the head of administration, curators, ceramic artists, civil workers, and security. Since its opening until the end of December, 2019, the number of visitors to the museum was 657,785 people, and for the past three years, the museum has been visited by more than 100,000 visitors annually. The main attraction operated year-round includes the series of experiential programs to make celadons. The summer program is held four times a day, while the winter program is three times a day. Since its opening until 2019, the Special Exhibitions have been held 17 times in total and 8 related brochures were released. The museum plans other exhibitions to showcase excavation results, relics, and kilns at the historic site dating back to the Goryeo dynasty as well as private or donated collections and works made by the Buan Ceramic Artist Association. As of the end of December, 2019, Buan Celadon Museum owns a total of 3,874 relics, whole pieces and fragments, which were purchased, donated, consigned, or leased. The works owned by the museum are not only Goryeo ware but also Joseon Buncheong ware and Joseon white porcelain. Over 400 relics borrowed from the Jeonju National Museum are fragments of Goryeo ware discovered at the site of ancient kilns in Jinseo-ri and Yucheon-ri in addition to relics found at sea depth off Gunsan and around Biando Island, serving as vital material for studies on Goryeo ware found in the Buan region. The Buan Celadon Museum also owns highly valuable Goryeo celadons, such as “Gourd-shaped Celadon Kettle Inlaid with Chrysanthemum Patterns” and “Vertical Flute Inlaid with Chrysanthemum Pattern”, and exhibits some of the finest works for visitors to appreciate the aesthetics of Goryeo ware and its academic value. For seasonal entertainment, every summer the museum also organizes small concerts and talks with curators.