Browsing the archives for the Bulguk-dong category
This post is coming a little too late for the summer, but I’m posting it anyhow for those who might be interested in doing some camping this fall or are already kicking around ideas for their next vacation. For years I’ve heard that there there’s a campground at the Mt. Tohamsan at the Recreational Forest [...]
If you’ve read any of my restaurant reviews on here on the blog, you’ve probably noticed I don’t bother ratings restaurants with crap like forks, stars, or hearts. I’m a busy guy. I figure if a restaurant’s blasé or bad (and Gyeongju ‘s got its share of those) then it’s not worth writing about. Also, [...]
Since we’ve been on the topic of pensions lately, I thought I should mention the Gyeongju Tourist Pension Association. I was down by the bus station last week and decided to pop in the Tourist Info Booth to see what was new. I noticed they had a brochure in Korean listing information for about a [...]
Koreans who take up wood carving often seem to develop an obsession with certain parts of the body, particularly the penis.
Coming up in about a week and a half is my absolute favorite holiday in Korea: Seokga Tanshinil (석가탄신일), or Buddha’s Birthday. Every temple in Korea celebrates Buddha’s Birthday one way or another. Most hang lanterns, have special ceremonies and serve a special group lunch or dinner for parishioners. A few of the larger or [...]
If you’ve had the pleasure of visiting Bulguksa temple (불국사), you’ve probably admired the twin masterpieces of Seokgatap (석가탑) and Dabotap (다보탑) pagodas in the main courtyard (if you haven’t yet, Dabotap is on the face side of the 10 won coin). What you may not have known is that there is a tragic legend [...]
Ok, so even though it’s over 6 months away, I’ve got to say something about my favorite Korean holiday: Buddha’s Birthday (Seoktanil). On the night of Buddha’s Birthday, most major temples hold a lantern parade. I’ve had the pleasure of catching it at several Buddhist temples over the years and I have to say it’s one of the coolest things I’ve experienced here in Korea.
