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Gyeongju attractions
Gyeongju attractions
Gyeongju is home to South Korea's first nominated UNESCO World Heritage Site and numerous other national treasures.
Gyeongju National Park. Either take a bus or taxi to get to the park. Once there, hiking trails lead up into the mountains. At first the signs are in both Korean and English but soon they become Korean only. Make sure you take a map!
Bulguksa Temple. A wonderful temple well outside the main city. It can be reached by bus every half-hour. Try to go in the early morning when there are less tourists. It's a humongous working temple so treat the site with the respect it deserves. Possibly the most impressive temple in Korea. It is regarded as a masterpiece of Buddhist art, and was built in the 8th century during the Silla Kingdom period.
In front of the main prayer hall, there stand two famous stone pagodas. They are both National Treasures. Dabotap means the pagoda of many treasures. Standing on the right of the courtyard facing the main hall, it shows the artistic beauty of Silla culture. In comparison to the simple Seokgatap, it is highly decorative. It was so delicately carved that they say ‘Silla masons managed stones like clay.’
Seokgatap means the pagoda of Buddha. It stands on the left of the courtyard facing the main hall. This three story pagoda is admired for its simple and dignified design. It is considered Korea’s most typical stone pagoda.
Seokguram Grotto - the grotto is an amazing site, not to be missed. A few kilometers hike up from the Bulguksa Temple, or a 20 minute bus ride that leaves every hour at 40 minutes past the hour and then goes back to the temple every hour on the hour, you will find this national treasure. This is a classic example of high Silla art and architecture, a spectacular Buddhist site. One will ecounter a seated Buddha protected by two sets of 12 royal guards. On the soltice the third-eye of the Buddha is hit by a ray of the sun coming through the dome above his head. The light from the third eye is said to shine South-south-East, in the direction of an ancient temple in the valley below, destroyed by Mongols in the 13th century. The line continues and points exactly to the tomb of King Mum-Mu in the East Sea, 3km father South-south-East. This was said to protect Korea from Japan. Although the grotto is behind a panel of glass, this is to protect it from the breath of thousands of daily tourists. Photography is not permitted inside the grotto due to the sacred nature of the site. The site may best be left for a clear day otherwise you will miss out on some great views.
Golgulsa Temple is located 20 km east of the ancient Silla Dynasty capital city of Gyeongju in Southeastern Korea. In the Golgulsa temple area can be found the oldest historical Buddhist ruins on Mt. Hamwol and the only cave temple in Korea. The original temple was built out of solid rock during the 6th century by Saint Kwang Yoo and his companions, Buddhist monks from India. This temple contains a sculptured Maya Tathagata Buddha (Buddha was known as the “Tathagata”; his mother was “Maya Devi”) and twelve rock caves. You can enjoy Temple Stay in Golgulsa.
The Covered Market close to the Gyeongju train station is a classic example of the Korean market with lots of fresh seafood, food stands and some textiles.
Cheomseongdae Observatory - the oldest existing observatory in the Far East, built during the reign of Queen Seonduk in 634
The world famous "Korean tapdancing museum". You can try on various tap shoes, some dating back as far as 16th century Shilla models.
Royal Tombs There are many royal tombs including: The Gwoereung Tomb, Oreung Tombs Park, Baeri Samneung Tombs, Gyeongju Hwangnam-ri Gobungun Tomb Park, Nodong/Noseo-ri Tombs Park, Seoakri Gobungun Tombs Park, Kim Yushin's Tomb, King Munmu's Underwater Tomb.
The Wolseong Yangdong Village has 150 tile roof houses and thatched cottages. Some are 500 years old. Interesting examples of old Korean architecture. Take bus number 203 from the Express Bus Terminal, it runs right to the village entrance and costs 1500 Won.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Gyeongju
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Gyeongju - updated Apr 2024
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Gyeongju Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.