Gyeongju Igyeondae

There are two places where you can meaningfully observe Daewangam (the Great King's Rock). One is Igyeondae, located in front of Daebon Elementary School, and the other is the site where a monument inscribed with 'My Unforgettable Sea' stands below a marker stone called Donghaegu (East Sea Port). Igyeondae is a historic place where King Munmu, who refused a splendid tomb and instead became a dragon of the East Sea to protect the country, is said to have appeared in the form of a dragon. It is also where his son, King Sinmun, obtained the priceless treasure Manpasikjeok (a magic flute), which could not be exchanged even for a thousand pieces of gold. The name 'Igyeondae' is derived from the phrase 'Biryongjaecheon Igyeondaein' (A flying dragon in the sky, it is advantageous to see a great person) from the 'I Ching' (Book of Changes). The current building was recently constructed based on the foundation stones revealed during an excavation survey in 1970.<br /><br />If you go down below the Donghaegu marker stone, you will see the monument 'My Unforgettable Sea,' erected in 1985 by the disciples of scholar Uhyun Go Yuseop to commemorate his anti-Japanese will. During the Japanese colonial period, as Japan tried to justify its blatant invasion under the pretext of 'Naeseon Ilche' (Japan and Korea as one), Go Yuseop reflected on King Munmu's patriotic will to guard against Japanese pirate invasions during the Unified Silla period. The poem 'Daewangam' written by Go Yuseop and the monument 'My Unforgettable Sea' stand side by side overlooking Daewangam, adding deeper meaning.