Monthly Archives: October 2010

Gyeongju News tips for tourists

Gyeongju KTX Station (신경주역) to Open November 1st

10/28/2010 – 09:17

Photos by Maria Pinto

Shingyeongju KTX Station, Gyeongju (image by Maria Pinto)

Shingyeongju KTX Station, Gyeongju (image by Maria Pinto)

It seems as Hell has actually frozen over.  Well, maybe not quite, but after years of delays, the KTX (Korea’s high velocity “bullet” train) is finally arriving in Gyeongju.  It’s official: as of November 1st the brand new Singyeongju Station (신경주역) will be fully operational, along side similar stations in Gumi, Ulsan and Yeongcheon. They are all part of Korea’s latest KTX high-speed rail line, linking Busan with Daegu and connecting with existing KTX lines up to Seoul. read more »

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Weird Gyeongju: The World’s Largest Silkworm (누에 체함학습관)

10/24/2010 – 21:07

Silkworm Experience Learning Center, Yeongcheon

Silkworm Experience Learning Center, Yeongcheon

Inspired by the “Weird America” books back home,  I’ve decided to start a series of posts on some of the quirky, cheesy or just plain strange tourist attractions that abound around here.  I could begin the with the wish-granting stone of Cheonwonsa Temple (천원사), or the legendary Vagina Valley of Mt. Obongsan (오봉산), but I figure it’s only fitting that I start with the giant silkworm statue of Oryong-ri (오룡리). It’s reputed to be the largest silkworm statue in the world (that is according to what little info I could find online).  Though, I don’t think anyone has phoned the kind folks over at Guinness about it yet. read more »

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Gyeongju Weekend Events: G20, Golgulsa Festival & Moonlight Walk

10/21/2010 – 11:34

 

G20 Comes to Bomun Resort (image from english.yonhapnews.co.kr/)

G20 Comes to Bomun Resort (image from english.yonhapnews.co.kr/)

Bomun Resort G20 Summit

This weekend is going to be a bit crazy around Gyeongju.  There’s a lot of stuff going on, and some of it sounds pretty cool (and some of it not really).  For starters, we’ve all heard about the G20 kicking off in Seoul, but you might not know that there’s a separate G20 summit going down this weekend at Gyeongju’s own Bomun Lake Resort.  This summit is reserved solely for the C.F.O.s of the member countries and will focus primarily on tweaking the nuts and bolts of the global economy. read more »

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Restaurant Review #14: Ah Sa Ga Tea House (아사가찻집)

10/17/2010 – 07:27
Ah Sa Ga Tea house, Downtown Gyeongju

Ah Sa Ga Teahouse, Downtown Gyeongju

As we’ve been on the topic of tea lately, I figure it’s about time that I post on Ah Sa Ga Tea House (아사가찻집).  Ah Sa Ga is in the middle of Gyeongju’s downtown shopping district, on Bonhwang-ro Culture Street (봉황로).    It’s been open for almost a decade, though I only discovered it a little bit ago myself.   For years, I thought it was a pottery shop, which I hope is excusable as they do actually display and sell tea sets in the front of their shop. read more »

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Blog News: K-blog Love and Links

10/15/2010 – 11:20

I’ve been so busy with family visiting for the last few weeks (along with spending 4 days in the hospital over Chuseok) that I forgot to mention that some pretty exciting things were happening in the blog-o-sphere last month.  It seems the Sam-shin deigned to smile upon Gyeongjublog and blessed it with a fair bit of K-blog love back in September. read more »

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Hiking Namsan (남산): The Secrets of Samneung Valley (삼릉골)

10/12/2010 – 11:25

Maitreya Buddha, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

20 ft. Maitreya Buddha, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

Gyeongju’s Mt. Namsan (남산), or literally “South Mountain”, may not be among the tallest or most beautiful mountains in Korea, but to me it’s one of the most magical.  It might look gentle from the side, but up close Namsan’s got enough steep valleys, twisting peaks and craggy boulders to give any hiker a run for their money.  Not to mention, it’s a treasure trove of ancient Shilla (신라) Dynasty ruins and carvings.  Its peaks and valleys are scattered with over a hundred pagodas, hermitages, and stone Buddhas dating back 1,300 years. read more »

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Gyeongju tips for tourists

Tips for Tourists: Changing Money in Gyeongju

10/02/2010 – 01:00
Korea Exchange Bank (image from www.thislondon.co.uk)

Korea Exchange Bank (image from www.thislondon.co.uk)

Having worked in Gyeongju for over 5 years, all of my banking’s done in Korea, so it’s been a while since I’d had to deal with the trouble of changing money or withdrawing cash from an international account.  A while that is, until this afternoon.   My folks are currently visiting from the States, so we walked downtown with hopes of a hassle-free banking experience. read more »

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