The Historical Sites of Gyeongju, South Korea

After Seoraksan we drove down the East Coast of South Korea and ended up in Gyeongju (경주) that is referred to as a Golden City (this is what was taped around the city on different places). We actually didn't know why before I asked my language app mate who lives in Gyeongju. He had not heard of it either before but told us that probably because in the Gyeongju area the technique of processing gold was excellent and now the Museum is filled with golden artifacts.

At the arrival we were happily surprised by the amount of people everywhere. There were not this many people even during our time in Seoul, but maybe the difference was that it was weekend now.

We were staying for two nights at Trip to Gyeongju guesthouse. We had one big bed and one thick futon on the floor as there were three people all together. The guesthouse owner was great - he first asked me if I was studying Korean and after that spoke only in Korean to me. He explained a lot about the surroundings and drew us the best restaurants and sights to see. I'll write about them below, since we ended up going to many of those places.

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond

The first thing the guesthouse owner said was to go get some food and then after walk to Donggung Palace (동궁) and Wolji (월지) Pond as it was a sight recommended to see during the night with all the amazing lights. The place closes at 10pm and as we got there so late, we got in free, but during day there is a small fee for entering.

Woljeonggyo

This was also a spot recommended to go during the evening when it was dark. The Woljeonggyo (월정교) bridge was free entrance and you could walk inside but the lights go out and the place closes at 10pm every day. As we were walking back to the city we also realised that you could go over the river from small stepping stones that were a popular photoshoot place.

Cheomseongdae Observatory and the ancient tombs

The tombs and the very old, small, stone build observatory might have been better during day to explore though they were lit nicely. The below structure is the oldest surving astronomical observatory in Asia.

Yangdong Folk Village

Yangdong Folk Village is about 20 minutes by car from Gyeongju city centre. It is one of Korea's traditional villages and has housing all the way from 1459. It has been preserved for all these years by two families (Gyeongju Son & Yeogang Lee clans) that still live in the village. It was a rainy day but the village was interesting to see.

Bulguksa temple

Bulguksa (불국사) temple is a Buddhist temple from the Silla Kingdom time (built around 514-540). It is in great shape and people can book a temple stay at the place, which seems to be quite popular around different temples in Korea.

Many of these places mentioned above are designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Gyeongju was definitely worth the visit for me. Great smaller city with a lot of history and only about 250 000 people living in it.