Visitors flock to Ulsan Petroglyph Museum after UNESCO listing

View of Bangucheon (Ulsan Metropolitan City)

The Ulsan Petroglyph Museum is seeing a sharp rise in visitors following the UNESCO World Heritage inscription of the petroglyphs along Bangucheon, a major archaeological site in Ulsan.

Ulsan Metropolitan City said Friday that since the site was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in July last year, monthly visitor numbers at the museum have increased by an average of 75 percent compared to the same period last year.

The museum has recorded steady growth, with monthly visitors surpassing 10,000 in August, October and November. As a result, cumulative attendance has exceeded 1.56 million since the museum opened in 2008.

View of rock carvings at the Cheonjeon-ri petroglyph site (Ulsan Metropolitan City)

The petroglyphs along Bangucheon include two nationally designated treasures — the Cheonjeon-ri petroglyphs and the Daegok-ri petroglyphs. The rock art panels contain dense carvings created by successive generations from around 5,000 BCE to the 9th century CE. Made using stone and metal tools, the engravings depict a wide range of images and reflect both prehistoric and historic cultural traditions.

In response to growing public interest, the Ulsan Petroglyph Museum is hosting a special exhibition titled “World Heritage: The Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream We Love” through Feb. 28.