We wake up after a long night sleep in our Hanok in Gyeongju. Cleo gets dressed so she can jump around to her heart’s content on the trampoline before we head out.
Today we explore Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla kingdom, which rules over large parts of the Korean peninsula from 57 BCE until 635 CE. The most obvious remains are the green grass tumuli scattered around the city. Before we explore these we first go to the National Museum so we have an idea what was inside these tombs.
As it turns out, a lot, they don’t seem to be robbed even though they stand out as graves from miles away. So the museum is full of golden crowns of all the Silla kings, swords, jewellery and pots and jars. It’s a great modern museum with beautiful displays and a lot of English signs.
Next to the main hall is a hall dedicated to the Buddhist shrines, statues and relics. Buddhism was recognised as an official religion by the Silla Kingdom in the 7th century and the city and the surrounding mountains are littered with statues, temples and shrines. The best examples are on display in the museum and we get a lot of inspiration for what we should see next.
Next to the museum are the remains of an ancient Silla palace, Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond. The only things visible now are three reconstructed pavilions and the original pond. We walk around the pond and head back to the car.
Everyone is hungry so we park the car besides our next stop and search for a place to eat. After lunch we start with our exploration of the town and the ancient sites. We are parked next to Cheomseongdae Observatory, the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia. It was built in the 7th century. Around us we can see the ruins of ancient buildings and several tumuli.
We head to the river and the reconstructed Woljeonggyo Bridge, originally built around the 8th century, it was reconstructed in 2018. We cross the river once via the bridge and back via stones in the river. There is a traditional Hanok village there but the houses don’t look that old. On the other side starts a big park area with more than 10 tumuli with graves of the Silla kings. Among these are also the ones from which we saw the grave goods in the museum. One is open to the public, here they have recreated a cut out of how the inside looked and show animations of the building process.
Across the road lies another park with a couple of tumuli including one that is open to the public. Here they have opened the whole space up so you get a better idea of the size of the hill and the work that went into it. With the same ticket you also get entrance to the tumuli interpretation centre which is next door, here they have a whole array of interactive movies to show the building process. The children especially love the interactive movie which is projected on the wall and the floor and keep exclaiming their surprise at all the visual effects.
With all this new knowledge and insights, it’s time to find a supermarket and feed our bodies. There are a lot of convenience stores, which sell a quick bite, a stunning selection of soda cans and canned coffee but no vegetables. “Real” supermarkets are much harder to find, so we drive a bit, get to one which has a wider selection and cook a decent vegan meal for a change.
As Olga puts the children in bed, Tim goes out for a photo shoot of the town at night in the rain. When he gets back the children are almost asleep finishing their fun on their own two person bed which ends with them falling asleep holding their hands ❤️
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