It is well known that Ungjin Dodok Buyeo Yung and Silla King Munmu met at Mt. Chuirisan in Ungjinseong fortress in August, 665 to build a league. Currently, we call the small mountain, located behind Gongju Life Science High School, Mt. Chuiri. Nevert...
It is well known that Ungjin Dodok Buyeo Yung and Silla King Munmu met at Mt. Chuirisan in Ungjinseong fortress in August, 665 to build a league. Currently, we call the small mountain, located behind Gongju Life Science High School, Mt. Chuiri. Nevertheless, there have been several opinions about where is the exact Mt. Chuiri site
in which Buyeo Yung and King Munmu built the league. Of those opinions, the opinion saying the historic site is current Mt. Chuiri and the opinion saying the site is current Mt.Yeonmi are most dominant.
This disagreement of opinions made the question about the exact Mt. Chuiri league site the task to be solved in relation to the history of Baekje. This study examined which of the two mountains, Mt. Chuiri and Mt. Yeonmi, is more likely to have been the league site by exploring the outcomes of the examination and excavation into the league site and by comparing and analyzing the league and the alter related historical materials of Korea and China.
As a result, the followings were obtained.
First, the object of worship at the time of Mt. Chuiri league was not heaven but mountains and streams. Therefore, when seen from China's standards, a small and relatively low mountain like present Mt. Chuiri is more suitable for the historic Mt. Chuiri league site than the highest mountain in the area like Mt.Yeonmi. Besides, an earthen altar is more likely to have been used than a stone alter.
Second, it is considered that the alter of Mt. Chuiri league site is assumed to have the features of an alter for earth, not an alter for Heaven. When seen in light of China's case in which the altar for earth was founded in the north, it is reasonable to assume that Mt. Chuiri league was held at the current Mt. Chuiri located in the more northern part of the area than Mt. Yeonmi located on the west side of Gongju.
Third, an examination into contents related to leagues held among China's feudal rulers in the Ch'un-ch'iu period reached the same conclusion. It seems that the Son of Heaven or the feudal rulers in the Ch'un-ch'iu period used vacant land, not a high mountain, as the league site. Indeed, during T'ang China alters were constructed at lower places which could be easily accessible rather than at the top of a mountain like Mt. Cheondan.
As seen from the above, the present Mt. Chuiri located behind Gongju Life Science High School is considered more appropriate than Mt. Yeonmi as the historic Mt. Chuiri league site.