Construction in Baekje

This is a model of a typical construction site of the Baekje Kingdom, and it depicts craftsmen busy building a palace. Take a look at the model. Can you see the people grinding stones and handling roof tiles and timber in preparation for construction?

Let's take a look at how buildings were constructed during the Baekje period.

In order to build strong palaces, large stones were set as foundations and pillars were set on top of them. Earlier, they used to dig holes in the ground for the pillars, but the practice was abandoned because the pillars were susceptible to rot due to the moisture content of the soil.

To solve this problem, they set large stones as foundations on the ground before placing the pillars on top. In addition, the stones were better able to support the weight of the roof.

The roof structure was set directly on top of the pillars, which was a characteristic unique to Baekje construction.

If you look at the top of the construction you can see the timber that shows underneath the roof. Eaves formed by the protruding timber protected the building from rain, rendering the structure more sustainable.

This unique construction method of Baekje was later conveyed to ancient Japan, and was used to build a variety of structures in Japan. The distinguishing characteristics of Baekje construction that no longer exist elsewhere can be observed in the Baekje Cultural Land.