Chomsongdae

Chomsongdae, in Songak-dong, Kaesong, North Korea, is a granite platform regarded as one of the oldest surviving structures built for astronomical observation anywhere in the world.

About Chomsongdae

Dating from the early 10th century, Chomsongdae was used during the Goryeo dynasty for both astronomical and meteorological observation, including tracking the movement of celestial bodies and changing weather, from around 1024 to 1383. It is built from more than 360 granite stones, said to represent the days of the year, and is officially recognised as a National Treasure of North Korea.

History

The historical Goryeosa chronicle describes it as a squared stone watchtower roughly seven chok (about 210cm) on each side and eight chok (about 240cm) high, with an apparatus for surveying the heavens on top, by then already overgrown with ivy. A 1936 survey described a stone platform about ten feet square, supported by five upright stones ten feet high, with holes at the corners that once held pillars supporting an upper level. Today, only the granite platform survives; the original wooden observation structure it once supported is gone. Chomsongdae was inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong" in 2013.

Location & getting there

Chomsongdae sits in Songak-dong, Kaesong, in North Korea, part of Star Register's Asia region, near the site of the former Goryeo dynasty capital's Manwoldae palace complex.

Visiting Chomsongdae

Kaesong is one of the few North Korean cities accessible to organised foreign tour groups, though access depends on current political conditions and requires a licensed tour operator. Scale models of Chomsongdae can also be seen at the Korean Central History Museum in Pyongyang and, at larger scale, outdoors at South Korea's National Science Museum.

See your named star from here

Chomsongdae reminds us that people have been mapping the sky for over a thousand years. A star named through Star Register carries modern coordinates, precise right ascension and declination, so it can be found the same way astronomers here once tracked the heavens. Name a star or explore the star catalogue.