 Korean City Guides: Gyeongju
Seoul I Incheon I Suwon I Daegu I Daejeon I Jeonju I Gwangju I Ulsan I Busan I Seogwipo I Gyeongju I Pyeongchang I Pyongyang
Gyeongju: Korea's Cultural Capital
Daniel Allen
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 A green jewel in Korea's tourist crown, Gyeongju (also known as Kyongju) is a mere 40 minutes by road from Busan, and dates back more than 2000 years.
It was once capital of the Shilla dynasty, the greatest of the Three Kingdoms of the Korean peninsula. It is still considered Korea's cultural epicenter, and is richly endowed with a wide array of priceless historical treasures.
At its height Gyeongju was home to more than 2 million people (now around 200,000) and was one of the three most beautiful cities of the East, along with Xi'an in China and Heijokyo (Nara) of Japan.
Two sites in Gyeongju, the Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple, were awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995, South Korea's first UNESCO sites. These are located on adjacent hilltops on the south-eastern outskirts of the town.
Central Gyeongju is very compact, and getting around between the major tourist sights is easy. A large number of tombs are located in the city center, and farther locations can be visited on foot, by bike or by taxi.
Bike rental outlets can be found all over town. Throughout the year Gyeongju puts on a number of shows and events to entertain visitors - the largest of these is the Shilla Cultural Festival. Held in the first week in October this Features a swordsmanship contest, the National Traditional Music Festival, and arts and wrestling competitions.
The perfect way to start a tour of Gyeongju is to take a relaxed, early morning stroll along paved paths through the mystically beautiful Tumuli Park (known as Daeneungwon in Korean). The largest tomb complex in Korea, the 23 grass-covered tumuli from the Shilla period (57 BC - 935 AD) contain the remains of kings, queens and noblemen, together with a huge array of artifacts.
Look out for the massive Hwangnam Daechong, a massive, twin-humped tumulus thought to be the tomb of a King Soji and his wife, who were buried around 500 AD. Close to a small, lily-clad lake, its impressive bulk stretches for over 80 meters, and rises to a maximum height of 25 meters. Other highlights include the Tomb of King Michu, the 13th Shilla king (262-284 AD). Local legend states that when the Japanese invaded Korea after Michu had been buried, soldiers emerged from the tomb with bamboo leaves in their ears and defeated the enemy. Also inside the Tumuli Park is Cheonmacheong, the only royal tomb in the park that has been excavated and opened to the public. Estimated to have been built between the 5th and 6th century, this tomb has many golden relics on display, including a beautifully ornate crown, the most valuable object to have been excavated in Gyeongju.
Gyeongju is really only famous for one kind of food - Hwangnam bread ( Hwangnam bbang ) - and this makes for a great mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. This pastry consists of sweet red bean paste surrounded by a pastry crust and stamped with a distinctive sunburst design. Even those without a sweet tooth usually warm to this stuff - eaten straight from the oven with coffee or tea they're absolutely delicious.
There are lots of similar pastries available all over town, usually under the name of "Kyungju/Gyeongju Bbang", but only the Hwangnam Bakery, where you can watch the bakers hard at work, is considered the real deal by most Koreans. The bakery is just across the street from Cheonmacheong, and bread is available to take away in various sized boxes.
A great place to get a historical overview of Gyeongju is the Gyeongju National Museum, containing 100,000 relics recovered from the local area, including numerous Buddhist sculptures and examples of Buddhist art. Make sure to inspect the huge bronze bell outside the main museum building, which was cast in memory of King Seongdeok (reigned 702–737 AD) and weighs around 25 tons.
A good option for lunch is the covered seafood market (Seongdong in Korean) by the train station, which offers freshly prepared raw fish (hway) and other traditional Korean fare. Hway chefs consider a freshly killed fish with firm flesh as the pinnacle of haute cuisine. Older Koreans enjoy their raw fish wrapped with vegetables, garlic, soybean paste (gochujang) and soy sauce mixed with vinegar and hot pepper, although younger diners also go in for eye-watering dollops of wasabi.
Bulguksa Temple is a must-see sight on any Gyeongju visit, and as an alternative to bike or taxi it can be reached by bus every half-hour. An architectural masterpiece, this working place of Buddhist worship is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and dates back to the 8th century. Make a wish as you add your own tower of delicately balanced stones to the hundreds of others next to the upper temple building, but be sure not to knock any other piles over!
A few kilometers hike up from the Bulguksa Temple, (or a 20 minute bus ride), Seokguram Grotto is a classic example of high Shilla art and architecture, containing some of the finest Buddhist sculptures in the world.
Originally named Seokbulsa Temple, it was constructed by piling stones into a dome-like structure and then covering them with earth to make it look like a cave. The main Buddha is a highly regarded piece of Buddhist art and sits on a tall lotus pedestal.
A good location to spend evenings in Gyeongju is Anapji Pond, where musical shows are regularly held on Saturday evenings, including performances of pansori, traditional Korean opera.
The pond was originally constructed in the 7th century on the orders of King Munmu, and restored to grandeur in 1974. The ornate buildings surrounding the pond are beautifully illuminated at night, as is the nearby Cheomsongdae Observatory, the oldest observatory in Asia.
Further Info
There are regular buses to Gyeongju from Busan and Ulsan (1 hour).
There are regular flights to Busan from Seoul on Korean Air and Asiana, as well as high-speed KTX trains (3 hours - soon to be reduced to 90 minutes).
Recommended hotels in Gyeongju include the 300-room Kolon Hotel, the similar sized Commodore Chosun Hotel and the luxury Gyeongju Hilton.
View more images of Korea by Daniel Allen
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