Gangjin Celadon

Goryeo celadon is the jade-green stoneware that Chinese connoisseurs of the twelfth century ranked first under heaven, and the largest share of it was fired here, on the coast of Gangjin, where the clay, the wood and the sea route to the capital all came together - close to two hundred kiln sites have been identified in the district. The technique that made it distinctive is sanggam inlay: the design is carved into the leather-hard body, filled with white and black slip, scraped back and glazed, so the pattern sits inside the surface rather than on it. The knowledge was lost after the Goryeo period and was reconstructed in the twentieth century by trial and error. The site today has a museum, opened in 1997 and holding some 30,000 pieces, with excavated and reconstructed work, the exposed kiln foundations, a working reproduction kiln and studios, and a celadon festival in summer. A ship wrecked off the coast carrying Gangjin celadon was excavated and gives an unusually complete picture of a single cargo.

The main sights

• The kiln foundations - excavated firing grounds along the slope.
• The sanggam inlay - the technique explained and shown in the museum.
• The working kiln and studios - reproduction pieces being made.
• The shipwreck cargo story - a whole consignment recovered.

When to go

April to June and September to November; the celadon festival is in summer. Closed Mondays. Allow the museum first - the kiln sites are foundations and need the context.

What to expect

The kiln remains are low foundations under shelters, not standing structures. Ticketed. Gangjin is remote - a long trip from anywhere except the Jeonnam coast.

Nearby

Daeheungsa and Haenam are west; Boseong's tea terraces are east.

Key facts