Gyeongju
Gyeongju, known as the Museum without Walls, is a city in the Gyeongsangbuk-do province that was one of the most important cities during the Silla Kingdom. It was a great weekend as the weather started to thaw and could almost go without jackets (yes, in February.....the post is late!). There is a lot of history going on in this part of the country, including many Buddhist artifacts at the Bulguksa Temple. When we landed in Gyeongju, it took a few minutes to get a feel for the place.
Bulguksa Temple was an extraordinary temple that was designed to symbolize 'Buddha's land on earth.' It was built in 751 AD and was designated a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site on December 6, 1995. The temple itself was very impressive and contained many Buddhist artifacts inside. The construction of the temple was very striking (as you can see from the pictures), and was fairly large in size. The Bulguksa Temple has seven National Treasures of Korea contained within it's walls and holds important cultural
Overlooking the Sea of Japan (to the East), Seokguram Grotto, which we were not allowed to take pictures of, is one of the most famous and is regarded as one of the most intricate Buddha sculptures in the world. The Seokguram Grotto is built into one of the mountains and the view from the entrance is spectacular. The entire area of Gyeongju was very picturesque. This is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was completed in 751 AD.
Cheomseongdae was another stop in Gyeongju. It means 'star-gazing tower' in Korean and is the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia. Cheomsaongdae was really interesting in the fact that it showed so much interest in the stars, moon, and sun back in 7th century.
Gyeongju National Museum is an extensive collection of artifacts from the area that have been inticately laid out. The artifacts are from around the area, and also from a pond that was drained (Anapji) at the palace in 1974.
The weekend was full of sightseeing, cultural and historical learning, as well as climbing Mt. Namsan in Gyeongju (Seoul Tower in Seoul is also on Mt. Namsan, but different one). There is so much history in Gyeongju, that it would be hard to try and fully understand the ancient kingdoms of Korea without paying a visit to the historically rich area, which was extremely important during the Silla Kingdom.
Bulguksa Temple was an extraordinary temple that was designed to symbolize 'Buddha's land on earth.' It was built in 751 AD and was designated a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site on December 6, 1995. The temple itself was very impressive and contained many Buddhist artifacts inside. The construction of the temple was very striking (as you can see from the pictures), and was fairly large in size. The Bulguksa Temple has seven National Treasures of Korea contained within it's walls and holds important cultural
Overlooking the Sea of Japan (to the East), Seokguram Grotto, which we were not allowed to take pictures of, is one of the most famous and is regarded as one of the most intricate Buddha sculptures in the world. The Seokguram Grotto is built into one of the mountains and the view from the entrance is spectacular. The entire area of Gyeongju was very picturesque. This is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was completed in 751 AD.
Cheomseongdae was another stop in Gyeongju. It means 'star-gazing tower' in Korean and is the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia. Cheomsaongdae was really interesting in the fact that it showed so much interest in the stars, moon, and sun back in 7th century.
Gyeongju National Museum is an extensive collection of artifacts from the area that have been inticately laid out. The artifacts are from around the area, and also from a pond that was drained (Anapji) at the palace in 1974.
The weekend was full of sightseeing, cultural and historical learning, as well as climbing Mt. Namsan in Gyeongju (Seoul Tower in Seoul is also on Mt. Namsan, but different one). There is so much history in Gyeongju, that it would be hard to try and fully understand the ancient kingdoms of Korea without paying a visit to the historically rich area, which was extremely important during the Silla Kingdom.
posted by Graeme at 4:26 AM
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