Changgyeonggung Punggidae

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.846

Category

Craft

Era

조선시대

Designated year

1985

Location

종로구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 종로구 창경궁로 185 (와룡동, 창경궁)

Coordinates

37.579988, 126.994528

Punggidae is the wind streamer pedestal designed to hold the flag used to measure the direction and strength of wind. This 228-cm-tall granite structure is seated on an octagonal pillar engraved with pictures of clouds, and beneath it there is a pedestal on which images are also engraved. At the top of this pillar, there is a hole designed for inserting the flagpole and on the side of the pillar there is a drainage hole. Though the length of the flagpole is not certain, one could tell the direction of the wind by observing the narrow and long flag at the end of the pole and its strength by the degree of fluttering of the flag. 24 wind directions were indicated, and the wind velocity was classified into 8 levels. The measurement of the direction of the wind is very critical for agriculture, so it was institutionalized from the time of King Sejong the Great like the supyo (water gauge). The punggidae is now missing and its existence is confirmed only in pictures. However, it occupies an epoch-making position as actual evidence of the meteorological observatory of the Joseon Dynasty.

Location