The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recognized the unique value and the distinct character of Korean culture by listing a number of Korea treasures on the World Heritage List, eight Korean Treasures have been registered as World Heritage since 1995.


Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple

Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple were established over a 23-year period beginning in 751 during the Silla Kingdom. Bulguksa was for public worship and Seokguram for the private worship of the king. One of Korea's best known temples, Bulguksa, is a monument to both the skill of the Shilla architects and the depth of Buddhist faith at that time. While most of the wooden buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries, all the stone bridges, stairways and pagodas are original. The temple, originally built in 535A.D., was enlarged in 751A.D.
Dating back to the same era as Bulguksa Temple, Sokkuram Grotto is one of Asia's finest Buddhist shrines. Surrounded by Bodhisattvas and guardian deities, the serene central statue of Buddha gazes out over the forested hills and across the East Sea to the horizon. The building of the granite dome of Sokkuram was a truly amazing architectural feat. Seokguram represents a combination of Silla's knowledge of architecture, math, geometry, physics, religion and art into an organic whole and is one of Korea's greatest Buddhist masterpieces. Today, to protect the treasures, a glass wall prevents visitors from actually entering the grotto.
Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple are located on the western slope of Mt. T'ohamsan, forming a religious architectural complex of exceptional significance. They were added to the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1995.


Jongmyo Shrine

Jongmyo Shrine is the oldest and most authentic of Royal Ancestral Shrine,  dedicated in 1395, three years after the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) was established. It is located in Seoul, a heavily wooded garden with buildings containing the royal ancestral tablets bearing the teaching of members of the former royal family. On the first Sunday in May, the courtyards and shrines of Chongmyo are opened to the public for an annual Confucian ceremonial rite, one of the most interesting ceremonies in Korea.
UNESCO added to its list Jongmyo, the Royal Ancestral Shrine in 1995.

Janggyeongpanjeon

Janggyeongpanjeon, two storage halls at Haeinsa Temple, are the repositories for the Tripitaka Koreana, consisting of some 81,258 wood printing blocks, the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) version of the Buddhist canon. With more than 52 million Chinese characters precisely rendered, it is the oldest and most comprehensive Buddhist canon existing in the world today. Janggyeongpanjeon was entered on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1995.

Changdeokgung Palace

Changdeokgung Palace was originally constructed in 1405 as a detached palace after Kyongbokkung Palace was constructed. However, it was burned down during the Japanese invasion of 1592 and was rebuilt in 1611 during the reign of Kwanghaegun. With the man-made structures in harmony with the beautiful natural surroundings, it is one of Seoul's most frequently visited sites. The palace itself is a masterful work but particularly noteworthy is the back garden (Huwon), also called the Secret garden (Biwon), which is widely acclaimed for its beautifully landscaped and creative gardens. The garden comprises almost three-fourths of the 405,636-square-meter palace grounds and is tastefully laid out with all the essential elements of a traditional Korean garden: picturesque pavilions and halls, lotus ponds, uniquely shaped rocks, stone bridges, stairways, water troughs and springs scattered among dense woods. Changdeokgung Palace was registered to the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997.

Hwaseong Fortress

Hwaseong Fortress was built over 34 months in Suwon, south of Seoul, in 1796. The fortress incorporated the very latest construction technology, theories of military defense and aesthetic principles to create the most advanced military stronghold Korea had ever known. It is made of stone reaching from Mt. P'aldalsan to the west, stretching to an urban center and through flatland and included four major and several minor gates, command posts, observation towers, battlements, guard posts and bunkers. Most of the 5,743 meter exterior fortress wall still remains. Janggyeongpanjeon was entered on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1995.

The Gyeongju Historic Area and dolmen sites

Once the capital of the Shilla Kingdom, Gyeongju is a repository of ancient cultural treasures. Dozens of National treasures and historical sites are carefully preserved here. It is literally an open-air museum. In whatever direction you care to walk you will come across tombs, temples, shrines, the remains of palaces, pleasure gardens, castles, Buddhist statuary and even an observatory.
The dolmen in Kanghwa is a northern-type, table-shaped dolmen where ancestral rites were held. It is the biggest stone of this kind in Korea, measuring 2.6 x 7.1 x 5.5 meters. The Gyeongju Historic Area and dolmen sites were also added to the list in 2000.


Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes

Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes together comprise three sites that make up 18,846 ha. They are Geomunoreum, regarded as the finest lava tube cave system anywhere, with its multicolored carbonate ceilings and floors and dark-colored lava walls; the dramatic fortress-like Seongsan Ilchulbong crater rising out of the ocean; and Mt. Hallasan, Korea's highest peak, with its waterfalls, multi-shaped rock formations and small crater lake. These sites of outstanding aesthetic beauty also bear testimony to the history of the planet, its features and the processes which formed our world.