Gyeongju

Introduction

Gyeongju - Silla Dynasty burial mounds in the city centre

© All Rights Reserved Gelli

Gyeongju (경주시), known as the "Museum without Walls", is home of the Shilla dynasty which dates back from 57 BC and survived for the next 1,000 years. Gyeongju was the capital and at its height of power had approximately 1 million inhabitants. The 'Tumuli' (i.e. grass covered mounds) were the tombs of the Shilla royalty, serving much the same purpose as the pyramids in Egypt, not only containing the deceased but also magnificent treasures, many of which can be seen at the Gyeongju National Museum. The Gyeongju historic areas were in 2000 designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

• Tumuli Park - Shilla Tombs
• Nodong/Noseodong Tomb Park
• Wolseong Park
• Anapji Pond - Spectacular at night
• Gyeongju National Museum
• Bulguksa Temple
• Lake Bomun
• Numerous surrounding National Parks

Events and Festivals

• Shilla Cultural Festival (October)

Weather

Gyeongju has cold but relatively dry winters, averaging around zero degrees Celsius during the day and well below zero at night. Most of the precipitation during this time is in the form of snow. Summers are tropical with hot and humid conditions. Temperatures average between 25 and 30 degrees from June to September with fairlly warm nights. This is also the wet season. The best times obviously are spring and autumn with much less rain and agreeable temperatures.

Getting There

By Plane

By Train

From Seoul the train (Saemaul) takes 4 hours 30 minutes.

By Car

By Bus

From Seoul the bus takes 4 hours 15 minutes.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Easy town to hire and get around by push bike.

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

• Hanjin Hostel - central location, excellent advice!

Mid-Range

• Sa Rang Chae Guesthouse - traditional Handuk style (book in advance)

Upscale

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet is widely available in South Korea. The country is the sixth highest user of Internet in the world and there are internet cafes around the country in public places such as airports, train stations and bus terminals in South Korea. ‘PC bangs’ are rooms full of computers, predominantly started for people to play games. They are cheap and many open 24-hours with snacks available.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Korea Post is the national postal service and has fast, reliable and well-priced services. Standard letters and postcards start at 400 Won for domestically send ones. On their website you can find more about pricing details, as there are many different rates, depending on the zone (which country) you want to send it to, how much it weighs, wether it is air or ground service etc. Generally, post office hours are from Monday to Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm, though the larger central post offices tend to be open until 8:00pm and sometimes also on Saturday or even Sunday, usually only mornings.