Seoul's new museum featuring the history and culture of the ancient Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-668 AD) will open to the public at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul, on Monday, the city announced Wednesday.

The Seoul Baekje Museum will display a collection of 42,311 relics not only from the Baekje Kingdom but also from the Goguryeo, Silla and other kingdoms that occupied the Han River basin. Seoul was the capital of the Baekje Dynasty for about 500 years until 475 AD, when it moved its capital to Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, 162 kilometers south of Seoul.

The five-story museum, including three basements, has a total floor space of 19,400 square meters on a 14,00 square meter lot.

The exterior of the museum is designed in the shape of a sailing vessel to signify the maritime power of the ancient kingdom and set off by the background of the nearby Mongchon Toseong, an earthen fortress built during the Baekje era. The kingdom developed its national power mainly by trading with China and Japan via the Han River and the Yellow Sea.

To commemorate its opening, the museum will hold a free special exhibition titled "Baekje's Elegance: Costume and Ornament" from Monday through Sept. 14. More than 100 ancient textile items, costumes and ornaments from the period will be displayed.

The museum is also equipped with an electronic library and will provide various cultural and educational programs.

For more information, visit the museum Web site at http://baekjemuseum.seoul.go.kr or call 02-2152-5800. (Yonhap)