Travel Guide > Asia > South Korea > Gyeongsangbuk > Gyeongju
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 1000 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.
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.
From Seoul the train (Saemaul) takes 4 hours 30 minutes.
From Seoul the bus takes 4 hours 15 minutes.
Easy town to hire and get around by push bike.
This is version 13. Last edited at 9:52 on Mar 23, 09 by joffre (+3). 1 article links to this page.

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