The petroglyphs of Bangucheon encompass heritage sites in Ulsan's Ulju-gun, including the Cheonjeon-ri petroglyphs and Bangudae petroglyphs in Daegok-ri, both designated as national treasures.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee determines that there is an outstanding universal value to be protected for the entire human race and designates it as a World Heritage Site, as of 2023, the Ulsan Bangudae petroglyph is undergoing international procedures such as submitting an application for the registration by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, evaluating advisory, and waiting on a decision by the World Heritage Committee.
The rock-art(petroglyphs) of Bangucheon Stream is carved on exposed rock faces of a 3 km section, with particular focus on two areas. The two petrographs are located in Daegok-ri and in Cheonjeon-ri. Their official name in Korean is Daegok-ri Bangudae Petrograph and Cheonjeon-ri Petrograph. These petrographs, located on the Bangucheon Stream, depict various themes by the people who lived on the Korean Peninsula, a coastal area of East Asia.
*Both Daegok-ri and Cheonjeon-ri are names of villages. *‘Ri’ indicates smaller town like a village. *Bangucheon is a name of the stream and ‘cheon’ means a narrow river.
The realistic and three-dimensional carved paintings and unique composition drawn based on their excellent observation show the culture and way of living of the people of this region a long time ago. The paintings featuring the stages of various whaling processes, are the best works that reflect the creativity of the people at that time. The petroglyphs of Bangucheon Stream are a legacy of the tradition of rock-art that lasted for about 6-7 thousand years. The patterns, shapes and letters of various eras left on the rock face along the borders of the Bangucheon Stream are unrivaled evidence of a long-accumulated tradition.
These petroglyphs are unusual heritages that show the culture and various social stages of people in East Asia's coastal regions from prehistoric times to historical times. The rock paintings of Bangucheon Stream are protected from development activities by the Waterworks Act and the Forest Protection Act, centering on the Cultural Heritage Protection Act of Korea. The Bangudae Rock Carvings in Daegok-ri and the Cheonjeon-ri Rock Carvings are designated as national treasures and are well protected.
The petroglyphs on the Bangucheon Stream will hopefully be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2025. It was listed on UNESCO's provisional list in 2010, the domestic deliberation process was completed in 13 years, and the international deliberation process will go through in 2024. Meanwhile, the government and the city of Ulsan have made great efforts to find an appropriate agreement for the preservation of the petroglyphs. By lowering the water level of the Sayeon Dam, which is used for drinking water for Ulsan, the petroglyphs remain water-locked except during the summer torrential rain. Ulsan Metropolitan City installed a system to preserve the petroglyphs by maintaining the usual water level of Bangucheon Stream at 47m. Ulsan's efforts are expected to meet the protection and management requirements, which are difficult conditions for UNESCO's cultural heritage listing.
Main Image :Courtesy Ulsan Petroglyph Museum
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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