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Kyongju Journals

historical South Korea

An October 2000 trip to Kyongju by CamillaD

Quote: We experienced a fascinating segment of South Korea's 5000 year history in Kyongju, the ancient seat of the Shilla Empire.

historical South Korea

Overview

Quote:
Want to visit an urban, first world country and still get culture shock? Try South Korea! We visited Seoul and then stayed in the fascinating city of Kyongju, which was an imperial capital hundreds of years ago. We had a wonderful time visiting temples, exploring ancient hillsides to find 1500 year old statues of Buddha, eating the unique food (and you thought Mexican food was hot?) and learning about the culture and language. Spoken Korean is more closely related to Finnish and Hungarian than to other Asian languages, and the written language was created by an ancient king to promote literacy in the population. There aren't many Western tourists here - the only other Caucasian family we saw i...Read More

Highla Kyongju Condominiums

Hotel

Quote:
Best Things Nearby:Pomun Lake, lovely for wandering around. City buses pass about a block away.Best Things About the Resort:Convenience to Kyongju's museums, Pulguksa Temple and Namsan (pretty hills with ancient statuary and Buddhist hermitage).Resort Experience:The people at the hotel spoke little English but tried extremely hard to understand and help. The unit's furniture was "early bus station", and there was a loudspeaker with announcements (in Korean only) which sometimes startled us! You need to put the key into a slot in the wall for the electric lights to turn on - actually convenient, because you always know where the key is. The floors are heat...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 22, 2003

Highla Kyongju Condominiums
San 27 Bukkun-Dong
Kyongju, South Korea
(54) 748-8023

Pulguksa (or Bulguksa) Temple

Attraction

Quote:
Beautifully reconstructed Buddhist temple surrounded by wooded grounds. Statuary, pagodas, and traditional tiled and painted rooflines. I will put some photos up when I can scan them. A hike (or short bus ride) away is the Sokkuram Grotto, with a famous Buddha statue. Pleasant hike, but the Buddha itself is now behind glass and you have to file through in front of it. As it is popular, this can be a crowd point!

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 22, 2003

Pulguksa (or Bulguksa) Temple
near Kyongju
Kyongju, South Korea

Kyongju Museum

Attraction

Quote:
It's fascinating because Korean culture and artifacts are distinct from those of the surrounding Asian countries. Korea has its own types of tableware, gold jewelry, and building styles. There are many stories and traditions associated with these (another reason to bring your trusted guidebook, as it greatly adds to your experience as you look at the displays).

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 22, 2003

Kyongju Museum
Kyongju City
Kyongju, South Korea

Namsan

Attraction

Quote:
It's a haunting and wonderful area to wander; we spent two whole days there and didn't see everything we hoped to! There are many hiking trails, not too demanding. Keep your eyes open for ancient Buddhas. People still leave offerings around them, which are for the monks. Treat the statues and offerings with respect; you will notice that passing Korean hikers may bow to them. Listen for the monks chanting. Also watch for small pagodas. I will put photos up when I can scan them.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 22, 2003

Namsan
south of the city
Kyongju, South Korea

About the Writer

CamillaD

CamillaD
New Westminster, British Columbia

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