The dragon heads of Kaesong: Where an empire ended and learning endured

The first thing that caught me by surprise at the Koryo Museum in Kaesong was a pair of enormous stone dragon heads emerging from the ground. One dragon, its mouth closed and clenched canine teeth exposed, wears a fierce expression. The other holds a "yeouiju" in its open mouth. In Korean and East Asian tradition, the yeouiju symbolizes the dragon’s power and, in Buddhist symbolism, wisdom that dispels delusion and reveals truth. With piercing eyes, exposed teeth and curling whiskers, the dragon