Gyeongju Historic Area [UNESCO World Heritage] (경주역사유적지구 [유네스코 세계문화유산])

1.4Km 55544 2022-05-11

757, Taejong-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6100

The Gyeongju Historic Area, registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage on November 2000, is an area that embodies the time-honored history and culture of Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-AD 935).

The Gyeongju Historic Area can be divided into 5 major sections. The first section is the Namsan Area, a treasure trove of Buddhist art masterpieces dating back to the Silla Kingdom. Gyeongju Namsan Mountain (often referred to as an ‘outdoor museum’) is home to many historical heritage sites from the Silla Kingdom. Major attractions include: Poseokjeong (Historic Site No.1), Tapgok Maaejosanggun (Treasure No. 201), Cheollyongsaji Three-story Stone Pagoda (Treasure No. 1188), Chilbulam Maae Stone Buddha (Treasure No. 200), Bulgok Seated Stone Buddha (Treasure No. 198), and 37 other Buddhist relics

The second section is the Wolseong Area, one of the former palace sites of the Silla Kingdom. The area consists of Gyerim (Historic Site No. 19); Donggung Palace and Wolji (Historic Site No. 18), a Silla Royal Palace site; and Cheomseongdae (National Treasure No. 31), the oldest observatory in the East. Daereungwon area, the third area, features a cluster of the royal graves of the Kings and Queens of Silla.

Also in the same area are Gobungun (a cluster of old graves) in Nodong-ri (Historic Site No. 38), Gobungun (a cluster of old graves) in Noseo-ri (Historic Site No. 39) Gobungun (a cluster of old graves) in Hwangnam-ri (Historic Site No. 40), and Oreung (Historic Site No. 172), among others. Archaeologists have discovered a number of invaluable relics and historic items in this area such as Geumgwan (golden crown), Cheonmado (a painting of flying horses), and numerous pottery pieces. These finds are perhaps the greatest clues into the life of the people of the Silla Dynasty.

Area number four, the Hwangnyongsa Area, is where the former site of the Hwangnyongsa Temple (Historic Site No. 246) and Bunhwangsa Stone Pagoda are located. Lastly, is the Sanseong Area, housing remnants of the major defense system for the capital city. The site consists of Myeonghwalsanseong Fortress (Historic Site No. 47) which is estimated to be around 400 years old.

The Gyeongju Historic Area has a total of 52 designated cultural assets that are registered as World Cultural Heritages.

Cheonmachong Tomb (Daereungwon Ancient Tombs) (천마총 (대릉원))

1.5Km 110909 2023-07-14

9, Gyerim-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-743-1925

Daereungwon Ancient Tombs are one of the most well-known sights in Gyeongju, a history park home to 23 small and large ancient tombs. The area is dotted with tranquil trails among the tombs like the largest tomb in Hwangnam-dong, Hwangnamdaechong Tomb; Cheonmachong Tomb, the place where Cheonmado, a saddle flap painting, was excavated from; and the tomb of King Michu, nicknamed the “Tomb of the Bamboo Warrior.”
Cheonmachong Tomb, excavated in 1973, has a x_height of 12.7 meters and a diameter of 50 meters. Its excavation unearthed many artifacts, such as the famous Gold Crown from Cheonmachong Tomb. Its name comes from Cheonmado, a mudguard saddle flap with a painting of a heavenly horse. Cheonmachong Tomb is the only tomb in the Daereungwon Ancient Tombs to be opened to the public.
The tomb is thought to have been constructed between the late 5th century and early 6th century. Artifacts excavated from the tomb include a gold crown, gold cap, gold waist belt, gold diadem, and gilt-bronze shoes worn by the buried. The gold crown, in particular, is known as the largest and the most elaborate of all gold crowns unearthed in Korea. The artifacts themselves can be found in Gyeongju National Museum, so don’t miss the chance to see them in person.
Another must-visit site is the Daereungwon Magnolia Photo Area, a lone magnolia tree standing between the beautiful curves of ancient tombs.

Sugyeongsa (수경사)

1.5Km 0 2024-04-08

25 Sajeong-ro 57beon-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Sugyeongsa is a fusion Korean food restaurant renovated from a temple and a pond. The entrance is paved with marble and stone, creating a mysterious yet neat atmosphere, and the interior is simple, preserving the original form of a hanok and using white tones. The signature dish here is beef bulgogi with lotus leaf rice. The soy sauce-seasoned Gyeongju beef bulgogi, and lotus leaf rice will work up an appetite. The lotus leaf rice is a combination of rice and mixed grains wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed for an even healthier taste. Seasonal vegetables and side dishes are also provided. Also on the menu are Daereungwon deep-fried cheese, made with cheese rind, and beef brisket japchae pasta with seven kinds of vegetables, perilla seeds, and lotus root chips. A delicious meal can be enjoyed by anyone thanks to the restaurant's reinterpretation of traditional Korean food.

Nadul Hanok [Korea Quality] / 나들한옥 [한국관광 품질인증]

1.5Km 261 2020-09-09

4-1, Jjoksaem-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-777-7738

Nadeul Hanok was opened in 2018 with brand-new facilities, in a location just a minute’s walk from Cheomseongdae Observatory in Gyeongju. You can feel a sense of healing in nature in the traditional style house, built in environment-friendly construction method with wood and earth. The ‘ㄷ’-shaped building creates a snug atmosphere and the hipped-and-gable roof and the curves of the roof tile show the traditional quiet and still flavor of a traditional Korean house. There are 7 rooms in Nadeul Hanok. Among them, the Garam, Gayeon, and Nuri Rooms are offered at 50,000 won for 2 persons during off-season so that visitors can enjoy staying in a traditional Korean house at more affordable prices. All rooms are equipped with a bathroom for better convenience and there is an individual thermostat all year round. Complimentary breakfast made of healthy convenience food is offered to all guests. The menu is composed of barley bread, fruit, coffee, juice, boiled egg, and biscuit, and is subject to change according to situation. What is good is that the breakfast can be delivered to the room if the delivery time is requested during breakfast time, which is from 8 to 9 AM. It is possible to look around the tourist attractions near Nadeul Hanok on foot. In addition, there are CVs, fast food shops, bike rental shops, and hanbok rental shops adjacent to Nadeul Hanok, enabling a more convenient and joyful tour.

Gyeongju Daereungwon Ancient Tomb Complex (경주 대릉원 일원)

1.5Km 13734 2022-12-26

9, Gyerim-ro, Gyeonju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-750-8650

Gyeongju Daereungwon Tomb Complex consists of five tombs, Ancient Tombs of Gyeongju Nodong-ri, Noseo-ri, Hwangnam-ri, Hwango-ri, and Inwang-ri. The tombs are distributed in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju-si, and are located in the Daereungwon area. Within Daereungwon Tomb Complex is Cheonmachong Tomb, which was excavated in 1973. Furthermore, Hwangnamdaechong Tomb was excavated between 1973 and 1975, and is a set of twin tombs belonging to a presumed married couple.

Gyeongju Ssambap Street (경주 쌈밥거리)

1.5Km 0 2024-02-08

9 Gyerim-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Gyeongju Ssambap Street, developed around the Daereungwon Ancient Tombs in Gyeongju, offers a diverse culinary experience. A highlight is ssambap (leaf wraps and rice), a dish featuring fresh vegetables accompanied by substantial side dishes like fish, meat, and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste jjigae) made from homemade soybean paste. Additionally, this street presents a variety of snacks, including Hwangnam ppang (Hwangnam bread) prepared with red beans and flour, and jjondeugi, a traditional chewy snack made from cornmeal and sugar. Nearby attractions include the Cheomseongdae Observatory, Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, Woljeonggyo Bridge, and the Gyeongju National Museum.

Gyeongju Soohojeong [Korea Quality] / 경주수호정 [한국관광 품질인증]

1.6Km 10143 2020-09-08

15-15, Poseok-ro 1068beon-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-10-2379-7248

Gyeongju Suhojeong, located in front of the Gyeongju Daereungwon, is a Hanok guesthouse in a ㄱ shape. The traditional house was built in 2015 in accordance with traditional architecture using natural materials such as pine tree, red clay, straw, and others; thus, it is cool in summer and warm in winter. Planted along the wall next to the door are Korean hornbeams, top trees, maple trees, and elm trees. The climbing roses on the wall bloom in May and offer a great sight. The spacious yard with a stone table is a great place to chat with fellow guests. There are seven rooms in total and a cafeteria which doubles as a lounge. Each room with a bathroom has modern facilities that suit traditional beauty. Gyeongju Station and Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal are only five minutes away on foot, making the trip to the guesthouse by public transport easy. Sitting right next to the Hwangridangil Street, the accommodation offers great access to popular restaurants and fashion places of Gyeongju, and to major tourist attractions such as Daereungwon, Cheomseongdae, Balwolseong, Anjapji, and Gyochon Village.

Hwangnam Bread (황남빵)

1.7Km 2 2023-07-12

783 , Taejong-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

When Hwangnam Bread was created in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju, in 1939, people began to refer to it as “the bread from Hwangnam.” Over time, the name stuck. The late Choi Yeong-hwa, the founder of Hwangnam Bread, was a scion of the Gyeongju Choi family who came up with this masterpiece when he was 21 years old after much trial and error. Mr. Choi’s creation is based on the tradition of rice cakes and bread made with sweet red beans, passed down throughout the generations in his family. Even today, 80 years after the creation of the bread, it is only flavored with red beans. Another defining feature of Hwangnam Bread is the delicate comb pattern inspired by the aesthetics of the Silla period.

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond (경주 동궁과 월지)

1.7Km 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.

Geumgwanchong Tomb (금관총)

1.7Km 16786 2020-03-18

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

Geumgwanchong, located in Noseo-dong, Gyeongju, is a tomb from the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57∼A.D. 935). It is one of the three tombs that belong to the Noseo-dong Tombs in downtown Gyeongju.

Geumgwanchong Tomb is regarded as the tomb of a king before or after the reign of King Ji-Jeung during the early 6th century (500~514). It is not known exactly to whom this tomb belongs.

It was found in September 1921, when the fief was chopped while a civilian was leveling the ground to widen his building land. The first relic found in this tomb was a gold crown, geumgwan, and so the tomb took its name. Ornaments such as gold belts, earings, bracelets, saddlers and crockery of the Three Kingdoms Era (when Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla were separated, later unified by Silla in 676 AD) were dug up from the tomb. There were numerous relics, with beaded relics alone numbering over 30,000.

The original structure of Geumgwanchong was 13m high with a 50m diameter. The relics from this tomb were moved and are now preserved at the Gyeongju National Museum.

Gyeongju Historic Area [UNESCO World Heritage] (경주역사유적지구 [유네스코 세계문화유산]) - Area information - Korea travel information