Browsing the archives for the ruins tag

Top 10 Ancient Stone Buddhas (석불) of Gyeongju: Part 2 of 2

Continued from Part 1:
5.  The Buddha Boulder (부처바위) of Tapgol Valley (탑골): Tucked behind the quaint beauty of Oknyeongam Hermitage (옥룡암) in Tapgol (pagoda) Valley is a large rock outcropping covered with Buddhist carvings.  There are dozens of cryptic images including meditating Buddhas, flying Devas, pagodas, and even winged lions!  The quiet magic of [...]

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Top 10 Ancient Stone Buddhas (석불) of Gyeongju: Part 1 of 2

One of the cool things about Gyeongu is that it’s literally covered with ancient stone Buddhas from the Unified Shilla Dynasty (통일 신라), most dating back to around the 7th or 8th centuries C.E.  Very little is generally known about the sculptors who chiseled out these masterpieces way back when, though they were probably carved [...]

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The Four-sided Buddha of Gulbulsa Temple (굴불사)

Just a few blocks down from City Hall in Dongcheon-dong is one of the lesser known historical gems in Gyeongju, the four-sided Buddha of  Gulbulsa Temple (굴불사).  The original Shilla era structures of Gulbulsa are long gone, but remaining is a striking four-sided Buddha, or samyeonseokbul (사면석불), chiseled out of a large boulder.  In fact, [...]

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Old Fortress Walls of Gyeongju Eupseong (경주 읍성)

Right around the corner from the train station is a curious piece of recent Gyeongju history (recent being it’s only a couple hundred years old rather than 1,500).  Over the last year or two the city’s been taking pains to restore the old Chosun era city walls and battlements of Gyeongju Eupseong (East fortress).
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Ancient Stone Bathtub of Bomun Temple (보문사의 욕조)

If you’re at all like me and like you’re history with a bit of quirkiness, you might want to check out the ancient stone bathtub of Bomunsa Temple. The ancient stone bathtub of Bomunsa is… well, a big stone bathtub… um, in the middle of a rice field… um, yeah.

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