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Experiences, Events, and Spots
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Experiences, Events, and Spots
Special Historic Site: Baekje Temple Ruins
The Baekje Temple Ruins are the remains of a temple that is believed to have been built in the latter half of the Nara period by the Baekje royal family, descendants of the royal family of Baekje, as a clan temple. Many elaborately crafted circular foundation stones remain, and it is one of the few ruins where the earthen platforms of the main halls and pagodas from when they were first built in the Nara period are still in good condition. Combined with the historical background of the Baekje royal family, this is a valuable historical site that shows the historical facts of cultural exchange between ancient Japan and Korea, and for this reason it was designated a National Historic Site in 1941 and a Special Historic Site in 1952.
Basic information
Three excavations conducted during the Showa and Heisei eras revealed the layout of the buildings: the South Gate, Middle Gate, Main Hall, Lecture Hall, Northern Building (Restaurant), and North Gate, all aligned along a central axis; a corridor extending from the Middle Gate to the Main Hall; and two towers lined up east and west within the corridor. The temple was also found to be 140 meters square, surrounded by a tsujiki wall, and divided into at least four sections in addition to the halls, pagodas, and monasteries. The building's base, made of cut tuff, is as impressive as the great temples of Heijokyo. This indicates its prestigious status as the temple of the Baekje royal family, a powerful clan second only to the Imperial family at one time in ancient times. Based on the master plan for redevelopment, full-scale redevelopment work began in fiscal 2015, and restoration of the bases of the main buildings, including the halls, pagodas, and other central buildings, and the tsujiki wall were completed in fiscal 2024. The explanatory boards are now available in multiple languages (English, Chinese, and Korean), and you can also use your smartphone to view an AR video that evokes the temple's appearance at the time of its founding.
| Event period and date | All year round |
|---|---|
| Business hours and holidays | Reservation-only tourist bus parking is closed from December 29th to January 3rd |
| Price | Free of charge |
| Contact Us | 枚方市観光にぎわい部文化財課 072-841-1411 |
| Address | 4340 Nakamiya Nishinocho, Hirakata City |
| Access |
Approximately 7 minutes walk east from Keihan Miyanosaka Station |
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