Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Samneung means "three royal tombs," and has strong ties to history. The three royal tombs house three kings of the Silla Kingdom: King Adala (8th King of the Dynasty), King Sindeok (53rd) and King Gyeongmyeong (54th). King Adala, who cared deeply for his people, mobilized his soldiers to rescue his subjects that were abducted by the invaders of Baekje. After a while, Baekje asked for peace treaty and King Adala released the prisoners he took during the engagement. A kingdom in Japan sent an envoy to ask for friendly relations with the Silla. King Adala’s tomb is 58m in circumference at the base, 5.4m in x_height and 18m in diameter. As King Hyogong died without any heirs, the people of the kingdom crowned his son-in-law as their next king – King Sindeok. During his reign, King Sindeok devoted himself to protecting his kingdom from invasions by Gyeonhwon and Gungye. The royal tomb is 61m in circumference at the base, 5.8m in x_height and 18m in diameter. It was robbed twice, inviting investigations in 1953 and 1963. The investigations revealed the tomb to be a chamber made of stone. King Gyeongmyeong, the son of King Sindeok, together with Wanggeon, the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, successfully thwarted Gyeonhwon’s attack against Daeyaseong Fortress. During his reign, he attempted to establish diplomatic relations with the Hudang Dynasty of China, but was unsuccessful. The tomb is 50m in circumference at the base, 4.5m in x_height and 16m in diameter.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

King Naemul was the 17th monarch of the Silla Kingdom (in power from 356 to 402) and became the second king of the Kim family name. King Naemul was known as the first king to initiate the king title of ‘Maripgan’ and was known for spreading cultural advancements from China to the Korean people. When the allied forces of Baekje and Japan attacked, he asked Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo for help and led the people to victory, contributing to the increased strength of the Silla Kingdom. After his rule, the throne was exclusively ceded to members of the Kim family clan. The royal tomb of King Naemul is a large mound (2.2m in diameter and 5.3m in x_height) that sits on the northern hill of the Confucian school of Gyeongju. The edge of a natural stone is exposed around the bottom of the mound, pointing to the fact that the inner chamber tomb was made of stone. In the historical document Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), no records are found about the tomb, but the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) describes the king’s tomb as being located in the southwest of Cheomseongdae, which is consistent with the tomb’s location.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

This is the Royal Tomb of King Muyeol (무열왕릉) the 29th of the Silla Kingdom (654-661). He allied his forces with those of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and unified the Korean peninsula. This large tomb is 114 meters in circumference and 8.7 meters in x_height. Natural stones were piled on the bottom of the tomb, and they remain buried underground. The monument stone is gone, leaving only the turtle-shaped base stone and the dragon-carved head stone. Carved in relief is the inscription “Taejongmuyeolwangneungbi” (태종무열왕릉비), which indicates the owner of this monument.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Maaeyeoraejwasang consists of a Maebul (a Buddha carved in a cliff) at the very top of 12 Buddha images carved in natural rock caves located in a steep cliff of Golgulam Rock of Girimsa Valley. A painting of the Maaeyeoraejwasang titled "Golgulseokgul" by Gyeomjae Jeongseon, a famous painter of the era, revealed that there was once a wooden room located in front of the Maebul, but today only a hint of the room remains on the rock. The head of the Buddha (Yukgye) is perched solid and high on the body with a clear profile of the face – sharp eyes, small lips and a long and narrow nose. In contrast to the three-dimensional face, the body is broader and flatter. The neck and upper chest sections have eroded over time. The folds in the clothing are nearly parallel, and the arm area has a v-pattern wrinkle, giving it a more realistic and three-dimensional quality. Around the head of the Buddha is a lotus-shaped halo, while the body is surrounded by a rhythmic flame-like halo. The Maebul is believed to have been created during the late Unified Silla Kingdom, as it shows similar craftsmanship to Birojanabuljwasang (National Treasure No. 995), which was created in the year 876 and is located in Chukseosa Temple.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Cheongdo-gun)

Unmunsa Temple (운문사) in Cheongdo, Gyeongsangbuk-do belongs to Cheongdo-gun in terms of administrative district. However, it is actually better connected to Daegu. Unmunsa Temple was built in 560 during the Silla period. This ancient temple features seven treasured artifacts including an old pine tree (natural monument) and stone lantern. There are four small temples (Sariam, Naewonam, Bukdaeam and Cheongsinam) around the temple. Meanwhile, the surrounding forest of pine and fir trees only enhances the temple’s beauty. Unmunsa is the largest Buddhist nunnery in Korea, maintaining a capacity of roughly 260 nuns who practice Buddhism for four year periods. But, thanks to its magnificence and lush forest, Mt. Unmunsan, located on the southernmost part of Taebaek Mountains, has become a favorite spot for many tourists.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Andong-si)

Andong Traditional Culture Contents Museum is Korea’s first digital culture museum, exhibiting digital contents only, called 'digital relics’ (not the real contents). The state-of-the-art digital museum provides information as well as hands-on experiences with traditional Korean culture. The Traditional Culture Contents Museum suggests a new standard for a museum. This museum is a counterpart to NEWSEUM (News+Museum) in the US and ‘Sigureden’ (a digital museum/exhibition center) in Japan. The museum uses interactive computer technology to reenact traditions and give visitors the chances to learn the values and fundamental principles of Korean traditions. Visitors can experience traditional culture and the spirit of Korea not only from the still exhibits but also through the live stories the museum creates. In this way, the museum suggests a new paradigm of museum exhibition. The Museum features interactive digital contents with which visitors can experience cultural assets. An array of activities includes ‘Click Traditional Sound’, where visitors can listen to traditional folk songs, a song for bier carrying, or dialects; ‘Virtual Relic Experience’; ‘Junior Old Story Talk Talk’, which tells theologies, traditional tales, and myths; ‘Hahoe Mask Dance UCC’, in which visitors can learn how to dance the Hahoe mask dance and make their own user-created content; and a ‘4D Digital Image of Gochang Battle,’ which provides a hands-on experience of a historic battlefield. Furthermore, the museum offers the digital contents to cultural product development and the edu-entertainment, game, and animation industry as a resource to contribute to the cultural contents industry. The museum introduced a new visitor-tailored RFID card system to provide visitor-tailored guide programs. A RFID card containing each visitor’s gender and nationality provides each guest with a customized guide to the museum.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Andong-si)

Opened in 2003, the Woryeonggyo Bridge (387m in length and 3.6m in x_width) is the longest pedestrian overpass made of wood in Korea. Woryeonggyo Bridge harbors a tragic yet beautiful legend about a wife who made a pair of Mituri (hemp shoes) out of her hair in heartfelt yearning and condolence for her late husband. In commemoration of her pure and noble love, the bridge was designed in the style of Mituri. At the center of the bridge is the Woryeongjeong Pavilion.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Yeongdeok-gun)

Located on the Yeongdeok Wind Farm, Yeongdeok New & Renewable Energy Center allows visitors to learn more about new and renewable energy and Yeongdeok’s beautiful natural environment. On the first floor of the two–story center is a café and convenience facilities; on the second floor, visitors can learn about solar, wind, and geothermal energy. Visitors can even experience the power of renewable resources in action with a footbath warmed through solar energy. In the playground outside, the fun continues with a solar-powered bench that plays music when you sit down. On the top of the building is the Sky Garden, and on the hill next to the center is the Wind Garden, where a state-of-the-art telescope gives viewers a closer look at the surrounding wind turbines and the East Sea.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Andong-si)

Andong Hahoe Doenjang Village is located by the crossroad of Hahoe Village and Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy in Pungcheon-myeon, Andong-si. The village is built purely of red clay and the villagers are devoted to preserving the 600 year-long tradition of doenjang (fermented soybean paste) making. Over 3,000 large jars used for storing doenjang will greet visitors at the village entrance. Highlights of the village include a red clay storage room capable of storing around 100 tons of soybeans, a giant iron pot for boiling up to 100 kilograms of beans at once, and a large glass drying room used for hanging meju (fermented soybean blocks) to dry. Using these features, doenjang is made by boiling domestically produced soybeans and shaping them into blocks of meju, which are then left to ferment and dry for 2 to 3 months. The village facilities are comprised of an exhibition center at the entrance, a production center, and two drying rooms. The exhibition center invites visitors to sample various fermented soybean condiments and displays all the products made in this village. The drying rooms are specially designed to allow maximum sunlight and ventilation. Finally, the production center preserves the traditional methods of making doenjang such as boiling soybeans in a giant iron pot and fermenting meju in a ondolbang (a room with the Korean floor heating system).


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Located in Gyeongju-si, Gyeongju Gyochon Village is a hanok village that allows visitors a look inside life of famous the Choi Clan. Visitors can see the House of the Gyeongju Choi Clan (Important Folklore Material No. 27) and try some Gyeongju Gyodong Beopju Liquor (Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 86-3) inside the village.