Korea Autumn Trip – 8 – Gyeongju

It has been over half a year since I posted my previous blog on South Korea. However, there are still a few left, so I hope to finish them soon. Since the trip is now almost one year ago and my memory is not perfect I will keep it brief from now on. And besides, pictures say more than words. Lets continue with my stay in Gyeongju!

Arrival in Gyeongju

The bus from Andong brought me to the Gyeongju Bus Terminal (both Intercity and Express), just next to the river and the city centre. Since I arrived late and didn’t feel like looking for a hostel I made my way to the Silla Guest House, which lies just a short walk from the bus terminal. The guesthouse is relatively new (or at least renovated), very clean, but also somewhat uncosy. I spent the rest of my evening strolling around the city centre.

Bulguksa Temple

My first destination for the next day was the Bulguksa Temple. Bus 10 or 11 takes you from the city centre to the temple. The first thing I noticed was the enormous amount of school kids. Apparently Wednesday is ‘excursion day’, since I had also experienced this in Seoul. The noise of all the kids kind of took away the serenety of the temple complex, so I wasn’t really able to appreciate its beauty.

The garden of the Bulguksa Temple.

Children are educated about the Bulguksa Temple.

Inside the Bulguksa Temple complex.

A munk says his prayer to the golden Buddha.

The kindergarten is going for a hike in the forest next to Bulguksa Temple.

Seokguram Grotto

Next up was the Seokguram Grotto. A 3km trail leads up the mountain to the entrance of the Grotto. Nowadays it is also possible to take bus 12 up. The mountain trail was a bit more challenging than I had expected and I was not wearing my hiking shoes. A good 50 min hike later I was at the parking lot at the entrance. Here stands a beautiful pavilion with a huge copper bell. For a few Won you are allowed to ring the bell. Its sound carries far over the surrounding valleys. From the parking lot it is a short 10 min hike to the Grotto itself. Unfortunately the distant view on the complex was spoiled by the construction work going on. To protect the complex they are building a glass and steel construction around it.

The Seokguram Bell Tower.

Lampoons at the Seokguram Grotto.

Outside the Seokguram Grotto.

Silla Tombs

After taking the bus back to Bulguksa and having a nice lunch at one of the many restaurants around the parking lot I took the bus back to the city centre to visit the Silla tombs. Gyeongju was once the capital of the Silla empire, which reigned over South Korea from 57 BC to 935 AD and is now the place to view the treasures from this dinasty. My route led me through the Tumuli Park to the Wolseong Park, where the enormous burrial mounds lie. One of the burrial mounds in the Tumuli Park, the Cheonmachong, is the only tomb in Korea that you can actually enter. Inside the Wolseong Park are numerous of attractions. One of them is the Cheomseongdae tower, an astronomical observation tower dating from the seventh century. There were so many school kids running around this tower that I didn’t even bother to come closer. Instead I took a nice walk through the park while the sun was almost setting.

A typical street in Gyeongju.

Children are being educated about the Silla tombs in the Tumuli Park.

A tombstone at the Tumuli park.

Kids from primary school on a tour through the Wolseong Park.

Burrial Mounds at the Wolseong Park.

Cheomseongdae, an astronomical observation tower from the seventh century.

Burrial Mounds at the Wolseong Park.

Tombstone at Night at Nodong-ri.

Hanbok traditional clothing store.

Next up is Busan, where I visited one of my friends.