This region of the country houses a wonderful collection of Korean Buddhist art from the ancient Silla Kingdom, which can be found both above and below ground.
<Great Royal Tombs (Daereungwon)>
The Gyeongju Historic Areas encompasses a remarkable concentration of wonderful examples of Korean Buddhist art, in the form of sculptures, reliefs, pagodas, and the remains of temples and palaces, including the renowned Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto. Gyeongju City and its surroundings have inherited traces of the glory of this unique artistic expression that blossomed and withered in the ancient Silla Kingdom (BC 57 - AD 935).
<Bulguksa Temple>
Excavations of this delightful city and its outer reaches reveal a treasure trove of buried secrets. The ruins of Wolseong, the Half Moon Palace; many temple and fortress sites, including Hwangnyongsa, the Temple of the Yellow Dragon; the exquisite astronomical observatory of Cheomseongdae; huge royal mounds; and ancient wells and bridges have provided a wealth of archaeological data. From royal tombs and palace sites, to stone sculptures and rock-cut reliefs of the Buddha, to pottery buried for more than a millennia, Gyeongju holds thousands of relics within its noble embrace that embody Buddhist teachings and compassion.
<Seokguram Grotto>
The Gyeongju Historic Areas comprises a wealth of beautiful and wondrous artifacts for studying Buddhist culture and the arts of the Far East, as well as for studying the techniques of the ancient kingdom's most talented and gifted craftsmen. This area is considered to be an outdoor museum, where this magnificent collection of beautiful examples of Korean Buddhist art is housed within nature.
<Cheomseongdae Observatory>
<Three Storied Stone Pagoda in Gameunsa Temple Site>
<Three Storied Stone Pagoda in Gameunsa Temple Site>
<Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond>
<Bird-shaped Gold Ornament for Diadem of Silla Kingdom>
<Sacred Bell of The Great King Seongdeok>
<Bunhwangsa Temple Stone Pagoda>
<Rock Cliff Sakyamuni Buddha in Golgulsa Temple>
<Gold and Jade Earrings of Silla Kingdom>
* Photos courtesy of Gyeongju City and Korea Tourism Organization.