Gyeongju

Gyeongju (경주시, 慶州市; formally romanized as Kyongju) is in North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. The capital of the Silla Kingdom for approximately the whole first millennium CE, Gyeongju is definitely worth visiting if you are at all interested in Korean history.

Understand
Gyeongju was once the capital of the Silla Korean kingdom, and is possibly the foremost location in Korea where many ancient buildings, burial grounds and artefacts can be found. Driving through this city you will notice that the typical modern Korean buildings are frequently interspersed with large burial mounds. It's one of the country's most popular destinations. Most of the visitors are domestic or from elsewhere in East Asia — seemingly westerners haven't discovered Gyeongju yet.

Forested hills dominate the region; between them there are rice fields as well as houses and roads. Downtown Gyeongju is a small city without high-rises. These, on the other hand, can be found some 5km to the east, namely "Bomunhu Resorts", a collection of several expensive hotels next to an eponymous lake. In the 2012 census, there were some 264,000 inhabitants in the city. The region is famous for the traditional roofs on the houses; even some gas stations have them.

History
There has been human settlement at and around the site of the present-day town of Gyeongju from the prehistoric period. The Silla clan became the rulers of the south-eastern part of the peninsula in 57 BCE. They chose Gyeongju as their capital. There followed a long period of internal struggles between rival kingdoms. With the help of the Tang Dynasty in China, the Silla Kingdom defeated its rivals in the 7th century and established its rule over most of the peninsula; this remained unchallenged until the beginning of the 10th century.

The Silla rulers embellished their city with many public buildings, palaces, temples, and fortresses. Their tombs are to be found in the surroundings of the ancient city.

Mahayana Buddhism spread from China into Korea during the course of the 7th century and was adopted by the Silla Kingdom. Mount Namsan, which had been venerated by the existing cults of Korea, became a Buddhist sacred mountain and attracted its adherents, who employed the most outstanding architects and craftsmen of the day to create temples, shrines, and monasteries.

With the end of the Silla Kingdom, Korea underwent a further period of internal strife. It was unified again under Korean rule by the Yi (Chosun) Dynasty, which reigned until 1910. However, the country was invaded and devastated by the Japanese in the late 16th century and the Manchu in the 18th century, before being annexed by Japan in 1910. Throughout this long period, Gyeongju has maintained its urban identity, though many of its major buildings have suffered degradation and demolition.

Climate
In the summer heavy rainfall is common and the day temperatures hover around 30°C. Late fall is the best time to visit, when the temperatures are lower and the sky usually clear.

Tourist Office
The tourist offices are located at the bus station, at the railway station and at the Bulguksa temple. The staff speaks good English and are helpful. At the tourist office you can get English-language brochures about the region's sights and ideas for which of them to visit if you just have little time to spend. You can also inquire about hiking paths and bus connections there.

By plane
The nearest airports are Busan Gimhae International Airport and Ulsan, each about an hour away by express bus. From the airport in Ulsan there are four daily buses and tickets cost ₩4500, from the larger Gimhae airport there are twelve daily buses and tickets cost ₩9000.

Seoul's Incheon International Airport allow you to come to Gyeongju directly via the high speed KTX train, though trains stop at the new Singyeongju station a bit outside town. Bus service between the airports and Gyeongju's main terminal runs hourly. There are also 5 direct return coach journeys per day between Incheon International Airport and Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal. These services take around 4 hours and cost around ₩40,000 each way.

By bus
Gyeongju is well serviced by intercity buses from the. Service from Daegu, Pohang, and Busan (depending on terminal) leaves at least every twenty minutes, and every 40 minutes between Gyeongju and Seoul. Travel time from Seoul is approximately four hours, and Daegu, Pohang, and Busan are usually 40 minutes to an hour. From Busan the bus leaves from the central bus terminal at Nopo-Dong (last metro stop of line 1). There is limited daily service to other parts of Korea, and travelers going between Gyeongju and other cities will usually be routed through either Daegu or Busan, depending on direction of travel. An inter-city bus leaves directly from the Incheon International Airport near Seoul.

By train
The KTX (Korea's high speed train) serves Gyeongju directly, although the train goes to the brand new out-of-town station called where the journey time from Seoul is two hours. From the new station, many buses will take you to the city in about 15 minutes. Use buses 50, 60, 61, 70, 203 and 700. Ask the driver to let you off at the Express Bus Terminal (Gosok Teominal) which is a pretty convenient location. Alternately, there are lots of taxis available in the rank at the station. One way economy class Seoul-Singyeongju by KTX costs a little over ₩40,000, and tickets can be purchased from the automated machines (in English or Korean) at the station. Check Korail's website for schedules and fares.

Note that the previous Gyeongju station, located in the center of the city, has closed. This means that Singyeongju station is the only option if you want to travel to Gyeongju by rail.

Get around
Be sure to visit the two tourist kiosks to get maps and guides. One is next to the express bus terminal while the other is beside the parking lot in front of Gyeongju Station. Whether walking or biking, if you know your destination's Romanized or Hangul name you will find countless signs along the path at just about every intersection pointing the direction to the nearest attractions with distances provided.

By bike
The best way to get around the central city is to walk or bike. A bike can be rented for ₩7,000 per day, return by 19:00 from the bike rental shop 3 minutes east of the express bus terminal, motor scooters are available next door but are much pricier for a much shorter duration. Bikes can be used on some of the trails and within a few of the city's parks, so with good planning a bike can save you money compared to buses while providing a more enjoyable experience and allow you to see more attractions in a day. However, riding a bike on a hot summer day can be a sweaty experience. Gyeongju is an extremely difficult place to get lost in when visiting its famous sites.

By bus
Sites further afield can be reached using the city's bus system. Note that there are no timetables at the bus stops and sometimes you may have to wait long for the bus. The #10 and #11 buses circle the central city, and many of the most notable tourist destinations, in opposite directions. All buses cost ₩1,500, and don't offer a transfer (transfers using local transportation cards unconfirmed). The buses don't accept Daegu nor Daejeon Hankkumi but they do accept Busan Mybi and Seoul T-money cards. There are stops in front of the train stations and the bus terminal. All the stops for the most popular attractions are voice recorded in Korean followed by English.

There are also guided bus tours to the main sights; the ticket price includes the entrance to the sights and you don't need to wait for those public buses. Mostly they are good value for money, but sometimes the visits to particular sights are shortened if you are lagging behind schedule. The English of the tour guide is acceptable, but you would probably like to read up a bit about the sights yourself before going on the tour.

By Scooter
Riding a scooter may be the best option for traveling to a race. The race's attractions aren't far from each other, so a scooter makes it easy to get around and you won't have to deal with parking issues. There are quite a few scooter rental shops near the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal and Expressway Terminal, and prices are usually around 40,000 won for 6 hours.

See
Gyeongju is home to South Korea's first nominated UNESCO World Heritage Site — Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple — and numerous other national treasures.



Within the city



 * Anapji has been renamed "Donggung and Wolji" since 2011. According to a Korean history book called the Three Kingdoms Saga, the pond, Wolji, was created in the 14th year of King Munmu (674), and Donggung was built in 679, after the unification of the Three Kingdoms was completed.

Around the city

 * Bulguksa Temple used to have a fee, but it has been free to enter since 23. Also, a tourist found a pig hiding in Bulguksa Temple, so everyone should look for it under the roof. Pigs are superstitiously believed to bring good luck.



Royal tombs
There are many royal tombs including: The Gwoereung Tomb, Oreung Tombs Park, Baeri Samneung Tombs, Gyeongju Hwangnam-ri Gobungun Tomb Park, Nodong/Noseo-ri Tombs Park, Seoakri Gobungun Tombs Park, Kim Yushin's Tomb, King Munmu's Underwater Tomb.

Bomunho Resort
The resort is located about 5km east of downtown next to the man-made lake Bomun. Here you can find splurge-level hotels and services including stores, activity parks, a golf course and a swimming pool. You can walk or bike along the banks of the lake. The lake boasts the highest fountain in Korea, named Gosa. With its six jets, water is shot more than 100m into the air and in the night it is illuminated.



Do
As a major tourist destination in Korea, Gyeongju is host to many festivals and events.



Buy


The best items to buy in Gyeongju are mostly reproductions of Silla craftworks, such as ceramics, metalworks, and artwork. There will be numerous vendor stalls on your hikes to Bulguksa and a few more if you continue onto Seokguram Grotto in addition to the souvenir shops that sell mostly the same goods plus some higher ticket items in addition to small trinkets and nicknacks. You are more likely to get a good deal from the street vendors who you might reward buying multiple items with a discount off the ticketed price.

Eat
Unlike many cities in Korea, there is no particular dish the area is known for besides a general association with seafood. However, there are some famous edible items found in Gyeongju that have become renowned throughout Korea: Hwangnam ppang (ppang being the Korean word for "bread"; derived from the Portuguese word "pão") which is a small ball of silky-smooth sweet red bean paste surrounded by a thin pastry shell, and Gyeongju ppang which is the same sweet red bean paste enclosed between two thin barley bread pancakes. Both can be purchased many places in town (including from a booth at the train station) but the best way to taste them is fresh and warm from the bakery, just across the street to the east from the Flying Horse Tomb (Cheonmacheong) Park.

For seafood, many locals head to Gampo, a village directly on the coast. Most of Gyeongju's fishing catch is brought here and served locally, rather than being exported to other markets. The local hoe (sashimi) is excellent and very fresh.

If you happen to drink too much Gyeodong Beopju you might want to check the famous Haejangguk &mdash; a pork spine and coagulated blood stew &mdash; at the "Hangover Soup Street".

The area around Bulguksa's bus stop and carpark hosts a veritable village of restaurants. The owners will, unusually for Korea, tend to aggressively tout their shops over others but there are enough around that if you can ignore their advances, you can pick and choose. Prices are surprisingly standard, given the location.

Since 2010, Gyeongju has had a very popular bread called Gyeongju Tenny Bread. Gyeongju dakbap tastes like a hotcake, with mozzarella and cream cheese in a dough similar to a hotcake.

It is characterized by the pagoda depicted on the Korean currency, the 10 won, and is so popular that everyone seems to have one in their hand when walking around Gyeongju.

Alcohol
Gyeongju is known for Gyeodong Beopju, a mild rice wine. Although it is principally made from glutenous rice and spring water, locals believe that a boxthorn or Chinese matrimony vine growing near the wellsource of the water has imbued the wine with special medicinal properties and flavor.

Gyeongju is not particularly known for its nightlife, and in the major tourist areas around downtown and Lake Bomun you can drink at restaurants and hotel bars, but proper nightlife is hard to come by. Bars and clubs are mostly concentrated around Dongguk University, in the district. Some of them serve snacks (anju) at a price of ₩10,000-20,000.

Budget


Near the train station there are some yeoinsuk (guesthouses) where you can stay for as little as US$10/night. However, none of these places have hot water, making it difficult to use the very dirty facilities. There are also roaches in many of the rooms. Far better are the few "motels" near the train station that charge around $20/night.



Splurge
Bomun Lake Resort Area is home to several luxury hotels aimed at Korean tour groups, including the Hyundai and Hilton Hotels, as well as the Concord, Chosun Spa Hotel, and other more moderately priced hotels. There are also many accommodation facilities near Bulguksa.



Connect
South Korea used to have a different mobile phone standard from the rest of the world, though foreign 3G and 4G mobile phones should nowadays work in the country. See South Korea for details and check with your own operator.

If looking for an Internet cafe, just like elsewhere in the country, look for signs saying PC방 ("PC bang", literally "PC room"). In addition, there are some Wi-Fi hotspots around downtown Gyeongju and your place of stay will likely offer Wi-Fi.

You can call 1330 for all kinds of tourist information in different languages including English.

Go next


Buses and trains regularly leave to other cities in the region, the intercity and express bus terminal are very close to each other at the river in the southwest of the city. For nearby destinations, travel time by train and bus are about the same, but buses are more frequent and cheaper.


 * Busan – the second most populous city of South Korea with beaches, seafood, and a huge port.
 * Daegu — 'Colorful Daegu' is the country's fourth city with parks and festivals and once the capital of one of Korea's traditional eight provinces.
 * Pohang — an industrial city on the east coast famous for its steel plants, technical university and fish market. West of the city there are several historical attractions, such as the Yangdong Folk Village.
 * Ulsan — another seaside industrial city, which is also the gateway to the Yeongnam Alps.