Cheomseongdae
Korean name
Hangul:	첨성대
Hanja:	瞻星臺
Revised Romanization:	Cheomseongdae
McCune-Reischauer:	Ch'ŏmsŏngdae

Cheomseongdae is a stone tower that seems to have been built in the middle 7th century in Gyeongju by Silla. It has been designated by the South Korean government as the country's 31st national treasure since December 20th, 1968. There is a controversy over what it actually was. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (800x1065, 94 KB) Summary Cheomseongdae, Gyeongju, s. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (800x1065, 94 KB) Summary Cheomseongdae, Gyeongju, s. ... The Korean language (한국어 / ì¡°ì„ ì–´) is the most widely used language in Korea, and is the official language of both North and South Korea. ... Hangul (한글) is the native alphabet used to write the Korean language, as opposed to the Hanja system borrowed from China. ... Hanja (lit. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... Gyeongju is a city (see Subdivisions of South Korea) and prominent tourist destination in eastern South Korea. ... Silla (also denoted as Shilla) was one of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea. ... National motto: 널리 인간을 이롭게 하라 Translation: Bring benefit to all people Official language Korean Capital Seoul Largest city Seoul President Roh Moo-hyun Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 107th 99,274 km² 0. ... The national treasures of Korea are a numbered set of artifacts, sites, and buildings which are recognized by South Korea as having exceptional cultural value. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

According to Samguk Yusa, Cheomseongdae was constructed under the reign of Queen Seondeok (632-647) near the capital of the kingdom. Cheomseongdae means "star gazing platform". The tower is built out of 362 pieces of cut granite which some claim represent the 362 days of the lunar year. Some surveys of the site have indicated that there are 366 blocks.^[1] It has 27 circular layers of stones (some associate it with the fact that Queen Seondeok was considered to be the 27th ruler of Silla) surmounted by a square structure. 12 of the layers are below the window level and 12 are above. There are 12 large base stones set in a square, with three stones on each side. These sets of 12 may symbolize the months of the year. Samguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period. ... Queen Seondeok of Silla(善徳女王) ruled Silla from 632 to 647. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... Crust composition Oxygen 43% Silicon 21% Aluminium 10% Calcium 9% Iron 9% Magnesium 5% Titanium 2% Nickel 0. ... In Egyptian mythology, Month is an alternate spelling for Menthu. ...

The tower is 5.7 meters wide at the base and 9.4 meters tall, and filled with dirt up to the level of the window. Its construction style parallels that used at the Bunhwangsa Temple in Gyeongju and was likely a product of contact with the Tang Dynasty of China, with which Queen Seondeok allied her country. The Tang Dynasty (唐朝 pinyin: tángcháo) (June 18, 618 – June 4, 907) followed the Sui Dynasty and preceded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. ...

From the early 1900s to 1970s, Cheomseongdae was considered as an astronomical observatory with some questions regarding its functionality. According to this theory, Cheomseongdae is the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia. The problems with this theory are that, according to some, Cheomseongdae is not suitable for astronomic observation and that we cannot find its precedence in China. From 1970s to 80s, a debate on whether or not Cheomseongdae was an observatory was heated in South Korea and there is almost no prospect for reacing consensus. Some claim that it was used for astrology rather than astronomy although they were not differentiated at that time. Others claim that it was a religious altar. One claim it was influenced by Taoism and another argue its shape was modelled after Mount Sumeru, the center of the world according to Buddhist mythology. // Events and Trends Technology Lawrence Hargrave makes the first stable wing design for a heavier-than-air aircraft Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first documented flight in a powered heavier-than-air aircraft Mass production of automobile Wide popularity of home phonograph Panama Canal is built by the United... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... Categories: Stub | Astronomical observatories ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ... Mount Sumeru is the axial mountain on which both the religions of Hindu and Buddhism see as the center of the universe. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 566 and 486 BCE in India. ...

Notes

1. ^  Song (1983, p.17) cites the original 1962 survey of the site by Gyeongju National Museum director Hong Sa-jun, who found 366 blocks.

References

• Jeon, Sang-woon. (1998). A history of science in Korea. Seoul:Jimoondang. ISBN 89-88095-11-1

• Song, Sang-Yong. (1983). A brief history of the study of the Ch'ŏmsŏng-dae in Kyongju. Korea Journal 23(8), 16-21. [2]

External links

• Asian Historical Architecture page on Cheomseongdae