Gyeongju: First Impressions

Gyeongju is a "coastal city" according to Wikipedia; however, we were so busy we never made the 30 minute bus ride to recommended hiking courses there. Gyeongju is more famously known as the historical sight of the Kingdom of Silla which ruled Korea for almost 1000 years leaving behind hundreds of large burial mounds, a palace with a moat, and enough artifacts to fill several museums. No wonder there are many UNSESCO World Heritage sights here. The Kingdom of Silla also established Buddhism as the state religion thus stone Buddhist pagodas and statues dot the landscape in the mountains and valleys south of town.

We established ourselves in the Momojein Guesthouse, 5 minutes from the train station, local bus stops, and within walking distance of many UNESCO World Heritage sites. With included self-serve breakfast, shared kitchen, a big black dog named Momo, and decidedly laid back atmosphere it was a the perfect place for us. Not to mention that Top Mart and Home Plus supermarkets are nearby and a Daiso is just around the corner.

Arriving before noon by train from Busan meant we had long afternoon to explore and after a provisioning trip to Top Mart we set off walking towards the National Museum. The wind was howling and we wished we had worn our wool hats.

Our first experience with KORAIL worked out well as we bought tix online, picked them up at Bujeon Station, and then took the 9:45 train to Gyeongju Station.


View from the train. It seems that every road in South Korea is lined with cherry trees.


We walked past this fire station at least once a day while in Gyeongju - it's near the Top Mart supermarket.


This pavilion houses a replica of the famous Bell of King Seongdeok now in the site museum.


Beautiful bell.


The cherry trees are in full bloom and our fellow tourists visitors love it.






Visitors love to dress up in Korean costume and roam around taking photos of themselves.


The Cheomseongdae astronomical observatory dates from 7th century. It's constructed from 365 stones, representing the number of days in a year.


We ended up at the free Gyeongju National Museum where the actual Bell of King Seongdeok, the largest bell in Korea, is kept. It was cast in 771 A.D.


The main museum building.


One of the highlights of the museum is the display of items, including a gold crown and a gold belt, found in the North Mound of Hwangnamdaechong Tomb. A few days later we visited the tomb site; amazing. Stay tuned.


the museum has a building dedicated to he Palace and Wolji Pond. A few days later we visited the palace and pond at night. Stay tuned.


The reconstructed Woljeonggyo Bridge.


Pano by Sun-Ling.


Walking home through the burial mounds.