KSBNS 2024
in conjunction with the APSN
October 15(Tue)-18(Fri), 2024
HICO, Gyeongju, South Korea
October 15(Tue)-18(Fri), 2024
HICO, Gyeongju, South Korea
Gyeongju, a thousand-year-old city, is the crown jewel of Korea’s rich cultural heritage. The entire city is an open-air museum known as “the museum without walls” because of the vast number of cultural properties and archaeological sites of the city. Located in the southeastern part of Korea, Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC – AD 935), which was ruled by 56 kings over 992 years, the longest period of any dynasty in the history of Korea. Over the course of almost a thousand years, Silla transformed itself from a small tribal nation to a kingdom occupying more than half of the Korean Peninsula. Among such historical treasures, Seokguram grotto, Bulguksa temple, Gyeongju Historic Areas and Yangdong Folk Village are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Hwangnidan Street is now the new “it” place. Its name comes from the combination of Hwangnam-dong in Gyeongju and Gyeongnidan Street in Itaewon, Seoul, meaning the “Gyeongnidan Street of Hwangnam-dong.” The street is home to numerous restaurants, cafes, photo studios, and shops housed in Korean traditional hanok buildings, making it popular among the young generation. The street also demonstrates retro aesthetics due to the remaining old and worn buildings built during the 1960s and the '70s. If you are already visiting Gyeongju’s archaeological sites, you can use this lively street as a way to break up all the historical attractions.
Bomun Tourist Complex is a large tourist complex around Bomunho Lake in the city of Gyeongju. The area contains international-scale luxurious hotels, family-friendly condos, pleasant walking passages, golf driving ranges, and Gyeongju World. Gyeongju World is an amusement park, which operates over 30 rides, the super-large water park known as California Beach, and Draken Valley, the No. 1 highest dive coaster in Korea and the 4th in the world. This amusement park is so much fun and encourages you to explore various rides, gardens, and many more. If you love thrilling games and rides, you will definitely enjoy the whole day here.
When you take a stroll through downtown Gyeongju, you will immediately spot the eye-catching collection of giant tumuli that look like hills. These verdant, well-decorated tombs punctuate the city standing on a borderline between the past and present, while several dozen tumuli will sometimes form a beautiful park. Wander among the royal tombs of Gyeongju and travel back in time – you can find different kinds of amazing scenes from the dynasty’s long history and there is particularly breathtaking scenery where the former kings and queens now rest in peace. Gyeongju, the City of Ancient Tombs, is waiting for you.
Cheomseongdae, one of the landmarks of Gyeongju, is an astronomical observatory, which was constructed during the reign of Queen Seondeok in the 7th century. It is the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia, and possibly even the world. The observatory was built in a cylinder shape at 9.17 m in height. It consists of 365 stones, symbolizing the number of days in a year. The rocks are piled in 27 layers symbolizing the 27th ruler, Queen Seondeok, and the days in a lunar month by adding the two rock layers on top. The central hole or window separates the body into 12 layers of stones both above and below, symbolizing the 12 months in a year and the 24 solar terms.
‘Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond’, also known as Anapji Pond, was a secondary palace used by the crown prince of the Silla Kingdom. It also served as a banquet site for important national events and important visitors. The pond was created in 674, during the reign of King Munmu to demonstrate the power of the Silla royal family. It features three small islands, and a landscape of 12 small hills to the northeast. The pond was referred to as "Anapji" from the Goryeo and Joseon periods and onwards. In the 1980s, a pottery fragment with the letters “Wolji” (a pond that reflects the moon) carved onto it was found, revealing the true name of the pond. After the discovery, the site was renamed to the current Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond and has represented Gyeongju with its beautiful night view.
Buddhism was introduced to Silla through the Silk Roads around the 8th century. The people of Silla had Buddhism as their state religion. Seokguram Grotto looks like a natural stone cave. It was made in a dome shape and only used square blocks. Inside is Bonjonbulsang, a seated Buddha statue, which is hailed as the essence of Korean Buddhist art of the Unified Silla period. Created about 1,200 years ago, Seokguram exquisitely combines the Silla Dynasty's knowledge in architecture, science, geometry, and art. The superb architectural technique used is unprecedented in excellence. At the foot of the mountain with Seokgruam Grotto, you may see the great Bulguksa Temple. Bulguksa is one of the largest Buddhist temples in South Korea. The temple is considered as a masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art of the Silla kingdom.
Gyeongju Tourguide