Gyeongju Yangdong Village [UNESCO World Heritage] (경주 양동마을 [유네스코 세계문화유산])

19.5Km 87902 2022-11-08

134 , Yangdongmaeul-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-762-2630

Gyeongju Yangdong Village is Korea’s largest traditional village, showcasing the traditional culture of the Joseon dynasty and the beautiful natural surroundings. Thanks to its many cultural heritages, including treasures, national treasures, and folklore materials, the entire village has been designated as a cultural heritage site. Many people have visited this village to see its wealth of cultural heritages and scenic surroundings, including King Charles III, who visited this village in 1993.

Seolchangsan Mountain and its four spines of mountains can be seen beyond the village. Approximately 160 old houses and 500-year-old thatched-roof cottages are nestled within the valley. Fifty-four of these homes are over 200 years old and have been excellently preserved in their original state, offering the opportunity to view a variety of unique traditional Korean houses in person.

Gyeongjuhanok 1st [Korea Quality] / 경주한옥1번가 [한국관광 품질인증]

19.5Km 949 2023-10-25

20 , Cheonwon 1-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-10-9505-5367

Standing at the entrance of Cheonwon Village in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju Hanok First is a hanok stay combining the beauty of tradition with modern convenience. All rooms are Korean-style with comfortable bedding on the floor, and all have a toilet and bathroom. One guestroom has its own kitchen, while the others have basic cooking facilities in a shared kitchen. The spacious yard is decorated with figurines in traditional clothes. Nearby tourist attractions include Anapji Pond, Cheomseongdae Observatory, and Gyeongju Museum.

Silla Sori Festival - Emille (신라소리축제 에밀레전)

19.6Km 5047 2021-01-08

274, Gyo-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-53-427-5114

Silla Sori Festival mainly focuses on the King Seongdeok Divine Bell (Emille Bell), established during the Unified Silla period, and takes place in Gyeongju, embracing its thousand-year-old heritage. The festival has been held to acknowledge the value and legacy of this traditional Korean bell dating back to the Silla period.

Woljeonggyo Bridge (월정교)

19.6Km 2725 2023-01-03

31, Gyochonan-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6100

Woljeonggyo Bridge located in Gyo-dong, Gyeongju was built during the Unified Silla period (AD 676-935), but was burnt down during the Joseon dynasty. Through historical research, the bridge was rebuilt in April 2018 to become the largest wooden bridge in Korea. According to Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), the bridge was built during the 19th year of King Gyeongdeok’s reign (AD 760), connecting Wolseong and Namsan together. The historical research to rebuild the bridge lasted from November 26, 1984 to September 8, 1986, finding that the bridge was made with wood for the first time. The first rebuilding of the bridge was from 2008 to 2013 and the finishing touches were added from April 2016 to April 2018. Through this research and rebuilding process, future restoration of historical buildings have a better reference to use.

Hyangdan (향단)

19.6Km 42643 2024-08-05

121-83 , Yangdongmaeul-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-10-6689-3575

Hyangdan in Yangdong Village, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is a grand old house designated as a national treasure, having been built by King Jungjong for the elderly mother of his courtier Yi Eonjeok. Much of the original 99-kan house was destroyed during the Korean War and the rest converted to a guesthouse. Visitors can stay in the anchae, haengnangchae and an annexe - which all appear to be different x_heights because of the upward slope of the site. Various experience programs are offered: woodblock printing, a tea ceremony, natural dyeing, and traditional etiquette.

Seokbinggo (Stone Ice Storage) (경주 석빙고)

19.8Km 24923 2020-04-06

Inwang-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6100

Seokbinggo means a freezer made of rocks. It is an ancient refrigerator only in Korea. It is located in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Era (BC57-AD935). The appearance of this wonderful vestige is humble and simple. But you will not be disappointed at the entrance of the freezer. You can feel the cold from inside the structure. Half of Seokbinggo is underground while the other half is above ground, signifying the scientific propensity of Korea. The floor, walls, and ceiling are made of granite and have an airway. The walls are covered with limestone to keep off moisture and water. The floor is slanted to allow melted ice to funnel out. Frozen ice was popular for the upper class. From historical annals, it is assumed that Seokbinggo was made at least 1,500 years ago. Seokbbingo has been designated as National Treasure No. 66.

Gyeongju Wolseong Palace Site (Banwolseong Fortress) (경주 월성(반월성))

19.9Km 25901 2023-01-03

Inwang-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-10-3226-6390

This was the location of the palace-fortress during the Silla dynasty (57 BC ~ AD 935). The fortress takes after its name, which, literally translates to mean a crescent moon shape on top of a hill. The famous history books of Samgukyusa mention that Silla’s 4th King Seoktalhae (AD 57~80) thought this area was an ideal spot for the fortress and bought the land from a nobleman. The 2nd King Namhae (AD 4~24) impressed by Seoktalhae’s actions, took him in as his son-in-law, later, becoming the 4th king. The area was then under Silla’s rule for 900 years, the last king being the 56th, Gyeongsoon (AD 927~935).

Although the magnificent grandeur of the palace is now just an empty lot, it has been told that this area was filled with imperial buildings during the Silla dynasty. Currently, the region of Wolseong has a freezer made out of rocks called Seokbinggo, an archery range, a horse-riding field, and a traditional playground, which resembles the grounds of the Joseon Period (the dynasty that ruled the Korean peninsula from 1392-1910).

Gyeongju Hwangnyongsa Temple Site (경주 황룡사지)

19.9Km 21172 2021-01-29

64-19, Imhae-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6100

Hwangnyongsa Temple Site is located in front of Bunhwangsa Temple in Guhang-dong, Gyeongju. During the Silla Era, the Hwangnyongsa Temple was the nation’s largest temple and housed the bulk of the country’s major Buddhist treasures.

Construction of the temple began in 553 on a field east of the royal compound under the commission of King Jinheung. The king originally planned to build a palace, but decided to build a temple instead, after receiving reports that a yellow dragon had been spotted on the building site. The temple was thus named Hwangnyongsa (Temple of Yellow Dragon) and was completed in 569, seventeen years after construction began. The temple murals featured an old pine tree drawn by Artist Solgeo. During the Silla Era, the temple was the center of state-sanctioned Buddhism.

Later, when monk Jajang was studying in China during the Tang dynasty, he came across a god as he was passing by Taihe Pond. The god said to him, “The yellow dragon, which is my eldest son, is guarding Hwangnyongsa Temple upon orders of Brahma, the Creator. If you build a nine-story pagoda upon your return to Silla, the neighboring states will surrender and pay tribute, and the royal cause will be stronger. Once the construction of the pagoda is complete, prepare a memorial service for the local gods and pardon any of the country's criminals. If you follow all I have told you, no other state will dare invade Silla.”

After this encounter, Jajang returned to Silla and convinced Queen Seondeok to build the nine-story pagoda. Master architect Abiji of the neighboring state Baekje designed the pagoda and the project was built by Yongchun and 200 men using wood and stone. The night before the columns were to be erected, Architect Abiji of Baekje dreamed of the fall of Baekje and refused to complete the project. With a peal of thunder, an old monk and a man of great strength suddenly appeared from the temple's main hall, erected the columns, and magically disappeared. Abiji was so shocked at the sight that he accepted his country’s future demise as the fate of the gods and once again restarted work on the temple. (From Samgungnyusa, the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms)

In the twenty-three years following the completion of the pagoda, Queen Seondeok unified the Three Kingdoms; later, numerous scholars pointed to the pagoda as a contributing factor in the unification. Of the three treasures of Silla, two were located at Hwangnyongsa Temple. The largest bell of Silla was also in the temple, but was taken away during the Mongol invasion. The highest monks of Silla preached at the temple, and many kings came to listen to the Buddhist teachings.

During excavation work in July 1969, the massive foundation stones of the sermon hall, auditorium, and pagoda were found. Eight years of archaeological excavations and studies revealed the unique layout of the temple grounds, which consisted of one pagoda and three halls; also found were 40,000 or so ancient artifacts. Though foundation stones and other structures from the bottom of the temple were identified through excavation, there are no historical clues about the temple’s upper design, making the restoration of the temple in its entirety practically impossible. The size of the temple, based on archeological findings, was about 70 acres, roughly eight times larger than that of Bulguksa Temple.

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond (경주 동궁과 월지)

20.0Km 136784 2024-04-08

102 Wonhwa-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-750-8655

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond in Gyeongju are secondary palace sites of Silla. The palace, along with other secondary palaces, was used as the eastern palace where the prince lived, and banquets were held during auspicious events or to welcome important guests. It is also where King Gyeongsun of Silla invited King Wang Geon of Goryeo and had a feast to complain about the critical situation in 931 after being invaded by Gyeon Hwon. After unifying the three kingdoms, Silla's King Munmu dug a large pond in the 14th year of his reign (674), creating three islands in the center of the pond along with a 12-peaked mountain to the northeast. Beautiful flowers and trees were planted here, and rare birds and animals were raised. In the Samguksagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) from the Goryeo dynasty, there is only a record of Imhaejeon Hall and no mention of Anapji Pond. After Silla fell and the place fell into ruins during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, poets and calligraphers looked at the pond and recited a line of poetry that says, “The once splendid palace is gone, and only geese and ducks fly in.” That's why the place is called Anapji, using the letters 'an' for wild geese and 'ab' for ducks. In the 1980s, pottery fragments with the inscription "Wolji" were excavated, and it was confirmed that this area was originally called "Wolji," which means "a pond that reflects the moon." And the name Anapji was changed to Wolji Pond afterwards.

Bunhwangsa Temple (분황사)

20.0Km 31442 2024-02-29

94-11 Bunhwang-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Bunhwangsa Temple, located next to the ruins of Hwangnyongsa Temple in Gyeongju, was established in 634 during the Silla dynasty. Visitors can see cultural assets such as the Stone Brick Pagoda designated as a national treasure, and the Pedestal for the Stele of State Preceptor Hwajaeng registered as a Historic Site. Despite being a significant and ancient temple, much of it was lost during wars such as the Mongolia invasions and the Japanese invasions of Korea, leaving only a few buildings and temple grounds like Bogwangjeon Hall. Nearby, there is the Hwangnyongsa Museum.

Gyeongju Yangdong Village [UNESCO World Heritage] (경주 양동마을 [유네스코 세계문화유산]) - Area information - Korea travel information