경주 Gyeongju
Tombs and Palace
Wanting to learn a little bit of Korean history, I have come to Gyeongju, the capital city of the 라 Silla Kingdom from 57 BC to 935 AD.
A little truck from a little country.
A nice field of flowers, part of the Royal Tomb Complex in Wolseong, just south of the city center.
A honey bee on a yellow flower.
The royal tombs from Silla.
Cheomseongdae, the oldest stone astronomical observatory in East Asia, built during the reign of Silla Queen Seondeok (r. 632~647).
The Royal Tombs in Wolseong.
계림 Gyerim, a small "forest" adjacent to the Royal Tombs and Wolseong Fortress.
Part of 임해 Imhaejeon, an extension to the Silla Palace around the artificial pond 안압지 Anapji.
안압지 Anapji, an artificial pond built by Silla King Munmu in 674.
A wide field on the edge of the city near the Gyeongju National Museum.
Museum and Parade
The main hall of Gyeongju National Museum.
The plaque for this bell reads precisely "A Dharma bell is one of the main Dharma sound instruments used for assembling and teaching an audience in Buddhist temples. Though they originated from Chinese bells, Korean bells have their own distinct features and are strikingly different from Chinese and Japanese bells. … Above all, Korean bells excel in their beautifully curved lines and heart-moving sound." HAHA! That is just so Korean!
In the museum is a timeline of Korean history, along with major periods in Chinese and Japanese history. What is unusual, though, is that it shows the start of the modern eras of China and Japan in 1912 to be after the start of the Korean Republic in 1948... uh, wtf?
A park-like area in the Gyeongju National Museum.
Potato slices on a pizza is not that bad. Though I do have to question the choice of pickle slices as a standard side...
As I headed back into the city, there was this little parade. It was a small, short parade and they only closed the street for south-bound traffic...
Men dressed as soldiers in this little parade.
Flag bearers in this little parade.
Beautiful Gyeongjun, the last float of the parade.
As the parade rolled past, a man stopped me asking if he could take pictures of me (the only foreigner around) in front of the parade. Oh, Asians are so weird...
After visiting the major tourist destinations in Wolseong, I decided to take a nice evening stroll along the river. It's a nice way to spend a quiet evening.
The river through Gyeongju.
The river through Gyeongju.
The river through Gyeongju.