Kyongju

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Kyongju has been the capital of the Silla Dynasty for 1000 years, up to the 10th century, after which it fell into obscurity. The legacy from the Silla Dynasty is still visible, as Kyongju is littered with ancient ruins. You can see the remains of temples, tombs, shrines, palaces, gardens and castles, but they are only of interest if you are into Silla culture. People without special interests in archaeology will find a quick visit enough.

The huge walled area in the center of town is known as Tumuli Park. It includes the remains of 20 royal tombs, one of which is opened in cross section. Not far away is Ch'omsongdae, which looks like a pile of rocks, but it actually is one of East Asia's oldest observatories. The rocks are mounted in such a way that they form a mathematical allegory for the days and months of the year. The oldest tomb mounds in the region are the Onung Tombs, which are located across the river, on the city's southern side. The marvelous Posokjong Bower gardens are also in the same area.

The most marvelous Silla temple is Pulguksa though. It is situated on a series of stone terraces about 16 km (10 miles) from Kyongju and includes some of Asia's finest eaves and internal paintings. You can climb to the temple's highest level and look down on Pulguksa's marvelously arranged tiles. In the Sokkuram Grotto, high above the temple is a statue of a seated Buddha that watches over Kyongju.

There is a wide range of accommodation available in Kyongju and there are also countless restaurants serving all sorts of foods. Kyongju is 270 km southeast of Seoul.