Browsing the archives for the sights to see tag
The other day I was rummaging around on Youtube for videos to fill out a playlist on Gyeongjublog’s fledgling Youtube Channel and I stumbled across some amazing videos on something called the Korean Heritage Channel. I know I use far too many superlatives on this blog already, but this channel features some of the [...]
As one of the few architectural structures left standing from the Silla Dynasty, Bunhwangsa (분황사) Temple is one of the “must see” historical sites in Gyeongju. Built in 634 C.E. by order of the legendary Queen Seondeok (선덕여왕), Bunhwangsa is most famous for its three-tiered pagoda. Originally built as seven or nine tiers, the pagoda [...]
To be honest the Korean urban lifestyle doesn’t really do much for me. Sure, I sometimes miss the art and culture, the night clubs and the convenience. But after living in London, Berlin and Barcelona, there’s really not anything new that I get out of big cities in Korea. All it takes is a walk [...]
Unfortunately, this is another story that’s coming just a bit late for summer vacation, but then again I’m one of those odd folks who actually prefer going to the beach in autumn. Perhaps the subtle melancholy in the air suites my temperament more, or maybe I just don’t like crowded beaches in summer. Either way, [...]
My apologies for being a bit slow in getting caught up from our vacation. As always, there have been some cool things happening in Gyeongju this summer, so here’s a belated rundown of some of the highlights: The time has come around again for the triennial Gyeongju World Culture ExpoZ. The fun kicked off on [...]
It’s been a while since I’ve done any “Top 10″ and since I’ve been busy with final exams and grades, I don’t have any proper articles ready to go this week. Instead, I figured I’d post on the 10 best YouTube videos I could find about Gyeongju. Believe me, it was a lot harder than [...]
The 19th century was a dark time for Korea (and sadly just a prelude to the horrors to come in the 20th century to come). Korea was still a feudal agrarian society and the nobility of the Joseon Dynasty had become bloated and corrupt, exacting heavy taxes and conscripting forced labor from the peasantry. Foreign [...]
Hidden away above a small farming valley just south of Mt. Namsan, the Standing Buddha (마애불얍성) of Mt. Maseoksan (마석산) is the epitome of “off the beaten path.” In fact, for a long time the only reference to it I could find was a mark at the bottom of the regional map published by the [...]
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 [...]
Taking advantage of a break in the cold weather, the other weekend I piled into the car with some friends and took off to explore the mountains south of Gyeongju (not to mention my wife was putting the finishing touches on her Master’s thesis and needed me out of the house). I’d managed to score [...]
