Things to do in Gyeongju

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Gyeongju

Gyeongju World

Gyeongju World is an early amusement park in Korea. In addition to theme parks such as tornadoes and canyon adventures, it also opens a sled playground in winter and a California water park in summer.

No. 1 of Night Attractions in Gyeongju

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, located in Gyeongju, South Korea, are an important part of the ruins of the Silla Dynasty's secondary royal palace. Donggung Palace was once the residence of the crown prince and also served as an important space for holding national celebrations, banquets, and receiving distinguished guests. Wolji Pond is an artificial pond that once featured islands and was surrounded by flowers and trees, creating a beautiful royal garden view with the surrounding palace buildings. It blends the architectural art and garden design features of the Silla period, showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship of royal garden construction at that time. The pond water and ancient buildings complement each other, presenting different views as the seasons and light change, appearing even more serene and elegant under the night lights. Today, Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond are famous for their simple and elegant architectural style and tranquil, beautiful waterscapes, making them an important place to understand Silla history and culture and appreciate the beauty of traditional Korean gardens, attracting many tourists to visit.

No. 2 of Night Attractions in Gyeongju

Cheomseongdae Observatory

Cheomseongdae Observatory, as the name suggests, was a place used for observing stars in ancient times. It was built during the reign of Queen Seondeok, the 27th ruler of the Silla Kingdom, and was primarily used as an astronomical observatory during the Silla period. The entire Cheomseongdae Observatory is built of granite, standing 9.17m high, with a top diameter of 3.1m, a bottom diameter of 5.17m, and a base stone side length of 5.35m. The double-layered base and the altar are square, with sizes 8 and 15 times that of the long base stones, respectively. Above the base is a 27-layer cylindrical tower body. The entire Cheomseongdae Observatory is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, standing vertically. Cheomseongdae Observatory each layer is approx. 30 cm high, and the top features a double-layered, well-shaped stone altar, which is presumed to have been the placement site for some kind of observation instrument. The upper part is well-shaped, while the connecting part is a barrel-shaped cylinder, often mistakenly called "Star-Plucking Terrace".

Selected for Fall Viewing Attractions in South Korea

Bulguksa Temple

Bulguksa Temple is the core of Silla culture, a classic of Silla Buddhist art, and a world cultural heritage. 1440 years ago, in the 22nd year of King Faheung of Silla, in order to maintain the stability of the country and the people, Bulguksa Temple was built, and it has been repaired several times since then. In Bulguksa Temple, walking up the ridge, you can see the famous Grotto Nunnery, which houses the larger Sitting Buddha statue in the east facing the East China Sea. Seven cultural relics including the Duobao Pagoda, Sakyamuni Pagoda, Blue Cloud Bridge and two golden bronze Buddhas in the temple are listed as national treasures of Korea. In 1995, Bulguksa Temple was listed as a World Heritage Site along with the Seokguram Temple to the east.

No. 5 of Best Things to Do in Gyeongju

Gyeongju National Museum

Gyeongju National Museum houses a systematic collection of major artifacts from the Silla Dynasty, where you can learn about the detailed history and culture of Silla, as well as comprehensive information about the city of Gyeongju. Since 1913, it has collected over 79,000 items, though only over 2,000 are on display. The museum is divided into the Archaeology Hall, Art Hall, Anapji Hall, and outdoor exhibition areas.

Daereungwon Tomb Complex

Ancient tomb No. 155, Cheonma Tomb, excavated in 1973, is a stone-built coffin tomb unique to the Shilla era. It is 12.7m high and 50m deep. There is a room 6.5m long, 4.2m wide and 2.1m high made of logs, with a wooden pier in the center to block the view. There are more than 11,526 cultural relics unearthed here. Among them, the Cheonma Tu is the first precious scroll found in an ancient tomb in Korea.

Woljeonggyo Bridge

Woljeonggyo Bridge is located in Gyeongju. It is a well-known wooden bridge that, according to historical records, was built in 760 by King Gyeongdeok of Unified Silla. A gatehouse stands on the bridge, and the second floor of the gatehouse houses a digital exhibition hall that mainly displays unearthed artifacts and the bridge's architectural history.

Seokguram

Seokguram is located in Tuhan Mountain, Gyeongju, and it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1995 with Bulguksa Temple, which is 4 kilometers away. Seokguram is also the 24th National Treasure of Korea. Seokguram and Bulguksa Temple were founded by Jindaesong in the period of King Jingdeok of Silla. Seokguram was originally called: Stone Buddha Temple, which was built by Jin Dacheng for his parents in the previous life, while Foguo Temple was built for his parents in this life. The stone cave nunnery is not large in scale, and the stones are neatly piled up. Walking in feels like being in a cave, so it is called the cave nunnery. The nunnery is dedicated to the Buddha statue of Sakyamuni. Standing below and looking up at the tall Buddha statue, there will be an inexplicable sense of holiness in my heart. Because the orientation of the Buddha statue is facing the east, the sun will hit the Buddha statue after sunrise, so Koreans call this Buddha statue "Silla people's smile".

Hwangnidan-gil Street

Gyeongju Gyochon Traditional Village

Gyeongju Gyochon is a hanok village built by Gyeongju City. It opens the life scene of Choi Tuhao's family and is a scenic spot for education and experience. The village is home to Important Folk Cultural Property No. 27 "Gyeongju Choi's Old House" and Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 86-3 Gyeongju Gyodong Winery.