Tag Archives: downtown

Cycling Routes Gyeongju history Ruins & remains Sites to see Statues & carvings Temples & shrines tips for tourists

Gyeongju Cycling Courses and Maps

Gyeongju Cycling Map

Gyeongju Cycling Map

Gyeongju is really a great place for cycling.  The countryside around Gyeongju is fairly flat and dozens of cement farm roads weave their way through scenic rice paddies and rustic villages.  Cycling’s also the fastest way to visit the dozens of ancient Silla tombs, temples, relics and ruins scattered outside of the city.  Not to mention, you can rent bikes for the day at both the train and bus stations and the bikes are usually in fairly decent shape too.   When I first started this blog I’d planned on posting a lot more on different cycling routes in the area.  Unfortunately, aside from one or two early posts, that never really happened.  To be honest, I’ve probably been on a bike once since my son was born two years ago (a sad fact I hope to soon change). read more »

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Downtown Gyeongju photography

Downtown Gyeongju: Photo Slideshow Part 2

Downtown Gyeongju

Downtown Gyeongju

Oddly, my slideshow last month of photos exploring the grungier, funkier side of Gyeongju’s downtown has turned out to be one of the more popular posts here on Gyeongjublog (which might not be saying much, really). I’m going to keep the write up here brief, as I pretty much said all I had to say about Gyeonju’s downtown as whole in part 1.  Not to mention, I’ve been busy grinding out papers for my Masters courses these last few weeks, so I haven’t had much time for blogging lately. I hope this keeps things from getting too stale until I find a bit more free time.  As promised, here’s part two of the slide show, and if you missed part 1, you can check it out here.  Same as before, you can scroll down through the page to view the slideshow or click on the photo above to start flipping through. Hope you enjoy the photos!

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Downtown Gyeongju history photography tips for tourists

Downtown Gyeongju: Photo Slideshow Part 1

Downtown Gyeongju

Downtown Gyeongju

This post probably won’t win me any awards from the Korean Tourism Organization, but once upon a time I was a Fine Arts student.  So after the last few weeks of beautifully blossoming cherry trees, please forgive me if I’m in the mood to post something a bit more urban and gritty.  Here’s the first part of a slideshow of I’ve put together of Gyeongju, so you can scroll down or click on the photos for the slideshow viewer.  I wanted to break in my new Nikon D5100 last month and went for a stroll downtown, so most of the photos here are from that shoot.  Also I’ve thrown in a few older pictures that, for some reason or another, haven’t made it up on the blog yet. read more »

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Events Festivals Gyeongju Sites to see tips for tourists

Gyeongju Cherry Blossoms (벚꽃) 2011

Cherry Blossoms, Road to Kim Yu-shin's Tomb, Gyeongju

Cherry Blossoms, Road to Kim Yu-shin's Tomb, Gyeongju

I have to apologize to the regular readers of this blog (if indeed they exist beyond my lovely wife ;-) ) for being slack in posting lately.  I had not one, but two, presentations to prepare for my masters program this last week.  As my creative efforts have been going elsewhere, I don’t actually have any articles ready to post atm.  However this year’s cherry blossoms are in full bloom and I did get out recently for some family photos among the blossoms. read more »

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Events Festivals Food & drink Gyeongju holidays Music & dance tips for tourists

2011 Spring Events: Cherry Blossoms, Marathon, Liquor Festival, Martial Arts and More

Gyeongju Cherry Blossoms

Gyeongju Cherry Blossoms

It’s finally beginning to feel a bit like spring around Gyeongju, which means we’re just days away from that magical season when the cherry trees begin to bud and then blossom.  Entire streets in Gyeongju turn into marshmallow wonderlands and romantic couples stroll through flurries of pink petals.  I already posted last spring on some of the best places in town to check out the cherry blossoms, like at Kim Yu-shin’s tomb and the ruins of Banwolseong fortress, so I won’t repeat myself here.  Korea’s wizards of meteorology have gazed into their crystal balls and have predicted Gyeongju’s cherry flowers (벚꽃)  will begin blossoming between now and April 8th and that the peak season this year should be April 6th – 15th. read more »

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Food & drink Hwangnam-dong restaurants tips for tourists

Restaurant Review #15: Dosol Maeul (도솔 마을)

Dosol Maeul Traditional Restaurant, Gyeongju

Dosol Maeul Traditional Restaurant, Gyeongju

I apologize for being a bit slack with the restaurant reviews here lately.  It’s been long overdue that I post on one of the classic tourist restaurants in Gyeongju: Dosol Maeul (도솔 마을).  And, unlike a lot of over-hyped tourist restaurants around here, Dosol Maeul is well deserving of its reputation. read more »

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Arts & crafts Buddhist culture Downtown Gyeongju Gyo-dong shopping tips for tourists

Gyeongju Shopping Guide: Part 2 What to buy?

Continued from Part 1…

Pottery Shop, Gyeongju

Pottery Shop, Gyeongju

If you’re shopping for gifts or personal mementos in Korea, there are a lot of options.  You could get something functional, like a hand-made tea pot or a brass ware dinner set.  Or, if you’re searching for something ornamental, take a look at the calligraphy scrolls or hand-carved wood work.  The fashion conscious might want to try a Korean “Handbok” dyed with traditional Korean pigments, like Je-ju mud.  However, if you’re looking for something more unique or unusual, here are a few suggestions: read more »

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Downtown Events Music & dance Shamanism

Fall Concert under the Ginkgo Trees

The other week I posted on an upcoming concert at the Gyeongju Cultural Center (경주문화원) in honor of the changing leaves of  the 500 year old ginkgo tree (은행 나무) on the premises.  As it’s just a short stroll from my house, I manage to pop down there for about half an hour before running to class.  The atmosphere was a little somber as the event seemed somewhere between a cultural performance and religious ritual honoring this ancient dang namu  (당나무),  or tutelary tree spirit.  I actually felt slightly voyeuristic being the only foreigner there.  In fact, aside from the photographers, I didn’t see a single person in the audience that looked younger than 50. read more »

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Arts & crafts Bomun Resort Downtown Gyeongju shopping tips for tourists

Gyeongju Shopping Guide: Part 1 Where to Shop?

Folkcraft Village, Gyeongju

Folkcraft Village, Gyeongju

Christmas time is just a few months away, which means (for a lot of folks in my country anyways) that it’s time to start shopping for presents.  Korea offers some very unique and interesting gift options for folks back home and I’m not just talking about the kimchi chocolate or plastic fans that you can buy in the airport.  In places like Insa-dong in Seoul you can find everything from Korean antiques and calligraphy to hand-made pottery and high quality green tea.  What you may not know is that Gyeongju is also a great place for gift shopping, and you can usually find things here for a lot cheaper than in the big cities.  The trick is knowing where to shop and what to buy. read more »

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Downtown Events Gyeongju history Korean culture Sites to see Top 10

The Quiet Beauty of the Gyeongju Cultural Center (경주문화원)

Front Gate, Gyeongju Cultural Center

Front Gate, Gyeongju Cultural Center

Downtown Gyeongju can sometimes seem a mess of cars, cluttered streets and concrete buildings.  Yet tucked behind the Police Station, is the quiet oasis of the Gyeongju Cultural Center (경주문화원) with its lovely traditional architecture and serene gardens.  It has a relaxed, unassuming sort of beauty and, although it’s not quite Bulguksa, it’s home to a fair bit of local history in its own right. read more »

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