Shilla Tombs of Tumuli Park, Gyeongju
One of the things that make Gyeongju noticeably unique among Korean cities are all of the ancient Shilla hill tombs scattered about. Some of them are pretty darn impressive actually, as they range from one to two millennia old and most of them are at least a couple stories high. Not to mention there are over 150 of them around the area. Seen from above they look like mushrooms sprouting up all over the city after a rain. read more
Pear Flowers of Nae Tae Village, Gyeongju
The other Sunday the sun was finally shining after a solid week of rain. My wife and I hopped in the car and took off to explore the countryside determined to enjoy some of the hard-earned Spring weather. As luck would have it, we drifted back some country roads going west out of town, and found ourselves in a remote farming valley in the shadow of Mt. Eorimsan (어림산). read more
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 more historically important temples will host special musical performances or hold a lantern parade in the evening, just after sun down.
This year, Seokga Tanshinil falls on Friday, May 21st. In Gyeongju, there are 3 particularly special events that happen for Buddha’s Birthday that shouldn’t be missed. If you’ve got a car, or you’re adventurous with public transit, you could easily hit all 3: read more
Seogyeongsa Japanese Zen Temple, Gyeongju
The other week my wife and I were walking through an older neighborhood of Gyeongju on our way downtown to grab a burger at McDonalds (Yeah, yeah. I know, but she’s pregnant. I’m not going to argue.) About a block from the courthouse, we turned the corner and stumbled on something we’d not seen since our last trip to Kyoto: the sweeping rooftop of a Japanese Buddhist temple. read more
Anapji Pond (안압지) by Night
Probably my top pick of things to do when visiting Gyeongju is to go for a walk around Anapji Pond (안압지) at night. Sure, Anapji’s worth checking out during the day, but when the sun goes down it really blings. The city’s done a great job with lighting, though some might say its a bit on the tacky side. But hey, I’m a sucker for pretty lights, so I love it. It’s great for a romantic stroll with your significant other. Or, if you’re into photography, bring your camera and a tripod and score some great night shots. I wouldn’t recommend doing both at the same time though, just ask my wife 
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Hyangiram Hermitage Fire (from Joongang Daily)
I heard some rather sad news when I got home today. It seems that Hyangiram (향일암), literally “Sunrise Hermitage”, in Yeosu burned down last night. I used to live in Gwangyang, near Yeosu and first visited Hyangiram back in ’02. I’ve been there twice since and I think it is (or sadly was) one of the coolest places I’ve been to in Korea. read more
2 Story Buddha, Nakch’eonwon Temple
If you look South-East from the ruins of Banwolseong fortress towards Mt. Namsan, you might see something a bit curious. Just across the Namcheon River in the little neighborhood of Gyo-dong is huge gold Buddha. It’s seated in the front courtyard of Nakch’eonwonsa (낙천원사), or literally “Optimistic Moon Temple.” It’s probably one of the newest temples in Gyeongju and if you’re out exploring area and got the time, it’s well worth checking out. read more
Home of the Choe Clan
Just 5 minutes around the corner from Cheomseondae Observatory is the historical neighborhood of Hwangnam-dong. Tucked between the tombs and the river, Hwangnam-dong is a small neighborhood but it’s got a number of interesting places worth checking out. It’s getting a face lift at the moment since they’re turning the entire place into a folk village as well as rebuilding the ancient Woljeonggyo (월정교) bridge across the river. read more
Conmaul O. Med. Hospital (꽃마을한병원)
If you are out cycling or even walking around the park complex with Cheomseongdae Observatory and Gyerim Forest, I highly recommend taking a few hours to explore the neighborhood just to the south west, called Gyo-dong. Just minutes from ground zero of tourism in Gyeongju are some real gems of traditional culture that not many foreigner visitors seem to get to.
Just across national road 35 from the Oreung tombs park is one of these gems: Conmaul Hanbang Byeongwon (꽃마을한병원), or “Flower Village Oriental Medical Hospital.” The grounds are gorgeous and they’re open to the public, so don’t be shy about taking some time to go in and explore around. The traditional revivalist wood-and-plaster architecture is pretty cool.
Sunghyejeon (숭혜전) Shrine
As it’s Fall now, I’ve got to say something about one of my favorite places in Gyeongju while there’s still time to check out the Autumn colors. Just a stones stone’s throw from Cheomseongdae (첨성대) Observatory and a ten minute walk from downtown is the Confucian shrine of Sunghyejeon (숭혜전), built to house the memorial tablets of Shilla Kings Gyeongsun (경순왕), Michu (미추이사금) and Munmu the Great (문무왕).
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