Gyeongju, Korea (May 2026)

Gyeongju was the capital city of the Shilla Kingdom, one of the three Kingdoms that occupied the Korean peninsula. In 668 AD, Shilla unified the three Kingdoms and ruled the peninsula for 267 years until 935 AD, when the Kingdom was transferred to Koryo. The Shilla Kingdom's religion was Buddhism. Gyeongju has been well preserved over the years, and is one of the places you must visit when you go to Korea. I did not recall whether I visited this place or not. So I made a 2-night 3-day trip while I was visiting Korea in May 2026.

The first place I was able to walk over was Hwangridan-gil. This street is packed with stores and restaurants people gather to stroll and grab street food. I took one of the cheese breads that looked like a Korean coin for 10 Korean Won. It is equivalent to a penny. 

There was a place called Dong-gung and Wolji. This place was used for hosting parties, and the moon was reflected on the small pond that surrounded a few structures. The lighted structures were also beautiful.

One of the famous places to visit was called Cheomseong-dae. It was an astronomical observatory. They held a light show at night with an animated video show on the surface of the building. 

There used to be a school called Gyeongju Hyanggyo. It produced many scholars who led the kingdom to thrive over its ruling period. 

 

There also was a wealthy man called Mr. Choi. He was very wealthy and philanthropic. He had a family axiom not to allow anyone within a 10 km radius of the house to go hungry. He welcomed strangers and fed them. His story remains a famous and exemplary legend. 

I crossed over a bridge called Woljeong-gyo. At night, it was lit. There was a legend in which one of the famous monks called Wonhyo Daesa made a proposal to a princess then of the Kingdom, called Yoseok, who was the daughter of Kim Chunchoo. They gave birth to one of the famous monks called Seolchong. 

I visited a few of the graveyards where kings and royal family members were buried. Gyeongju is famous for so many graveyards of significant sizes. 

One of them was called Cheonma-chong. This graveyard has become famous because all contents inside the graveyard remained intact. 

Another temple I visited was Bunhwang-sa. 

Another symbol of Gyeongju is Seokgul-am, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We read and heard about this place many times when we were young. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside the temple where a gigantic statue of Buddha is located. But walking up to the temple was pleasant through the forest. 

Another famous symbol of Gyeongju was Bulguksa Temple. It houses two stone-made pagodas, namely Dabotap and Seokgatap. There are several other bridges and buildings, but these two 8th-century pagodas are most significant.

 

Before I returned to Seoul, I visited Gyeongju National Museum. It houses over 100,000 artifacts in total, including national treasures. Strolling around the exhibit rooms was a wonderful experience to look back on the 1400 year old history. 

Although short, the trip was informative and pleasant. I felt grateful for the opportunity to visit Gyeongju. I should come back with Kristin. - Jeffrey