Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Gyeongju World Culture Expo is a valuable cultural exposition which has attracted over 16.2 million visitors so far through eight runs since 1998. In particular, previous expos introduced: the harmony of traditional culture and ICT (Information and Communications Technology), Korean culture and global culture, abundant hallyu contents, and is the first cultural expo to showcase the theme of the Silk Road. The expo is expected to welcome visitors with various exhibitions, performances, and hands-on programs.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Ulleung-gun)

Ulleungdo is a pentagon-shaped island located 92km away from Dokdo.The island was made from a series of volcanic eruptions. Its highest peak is called Seonginbong Peak, and there is a village along the coastline on the slope. On the north side is a caldera crater which collapsed to create the Nari Basin and the Albong Basin.Level ground is difficult to find here and the shores are mostly cliffs. There are a lot of snow in the winter. About half of the people work in the fishing industry. Corn, potatoes, wheat and beans were cultivated here, but nowadays mountain plants and medicinal herbs are mostly grown instead.There are dongbaek trees and some 650 other plants and trees thriving on the island. The neighboring waters is the junction line between two cold & warm ocean currents, where many squids, saury and pollacks are caught. The Ulleungdo squid is especially famous for their outstanding quality. It has been said that there are no thieves, pollution or snakes on Ulleungdo Island. On the other hand, there are many aromatic trees, wind, beautiful women, water and rocks. This is why it is called the island of The Three Mu (The Chinese character meaning ' have nothing') and Five Da (The Chinese character meaning 'have many of').You can enjoy the scenery by taking a cruise around Ulleungdo, Gwaneumdo Islands, and a natural tunnel. Elephant Rock, Samseonan, and Lion Rock are some of the other tourist attractions praised by tourists.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Geumgwanchong, located in Noseo-dong, Gyeongju, is a tomb from the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57∼A.D. 935). It is one of the three tombs that belong to the Noseo-dong Tombs in downtown Gyeongju.Geumgwanchong Tomb is regarded as the tomb of a king before or after the reign of King Ji-Jeung during the early 6th century (500~514). It is not known exactly to whom this tomb belongs.It was found in September 1921, when the fief was chopped while a civilian was leveling the ground to widen his building land. The first relic found in this tomb was a gold crown, geumgwan, and so the tomb took its name. Ornaments such as gold belts, earings, bracelets, saddlers and crockery of the Three Kingdoms Era (when Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla were separated, later unified by Silla in 676 AD) were dug up from the tomb. There were numerous relics, with beaded relics alone numbering over 30,000.The original structure of Geumgwanchong was 13m high with a 50m diameter. The relics from this tomb were moved and are now preserved at the Gyeongju National Museum. 


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Uljin-gun)

The Deokgu Spaworld, located in Uljin-gun, has naturally flowing hot springs water of the finest quality. There are also many sights to see in the area including Eungbongsan Mountain, Deokgu Valley, the Hyeongje Falls, Okryudae, Seonnyeotang, and more.The Deokgu Hot Springs were first discovered around 600 years ago, and are known to be beneficial for people with neuralgia, rheumatism, muscle aches, and skin disorders.The Deokgu Hot Springs are a great getaway for the entire family. Not only can you enjoy bathing in the hot springs water, but there are plenty of plants and animals to see at the nearby mountains and valleys. The hot springs resort has been continuously upgraded since 1983.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Bomunho Lake is a man-made lake 1,652,900m² in size. It was built on the site of an old fortress in Mount Myeonghwalsan in the east of Gyeongju in accordance with the Gyeongju Bomun Tourist Resort development plan. There are many leisure facilities and parks around the lake, including an international hotel and Gyeongju World. Bomun Lake is very popular among bikers and walkers.Unlike other cities or towns where cherry trees are only found in certain areas, Gyeongju is packed with cherry blossoms. When spring arrives, the whole cityscape turns pink with the beautiful blossoms. The combination of the stunning trees reflected in the waters of Bomunho Lake and the trees of Bulguksa Park gracefully adorning the nearby temple make for particularly stunning sights. When the light breeze blows, cherry blossoms gentle flutter down like satin snow flakes. The Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Marathon is held in April when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. 


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

This was the location of the palace fortress during the Shilla Dynasty (57 BC ~ AD 935). The fortress takes after its name, which, literally translated, means 'a crescent moon shape on top of a hill'. The famous history books of Samgukyusa mention that Shilla’s 4th King Seoktalhae (AD 57~80) thought this area was an ideal spot for the fortress and bought the land from a nobleman. The 2nd King Namhae (AD 4~24) impressed by Seoktalhae’s actions, took him in as his son-in-law, later, becoming the 4th king. The area was then under Shilla’s rule for 900 years, the last king being the 56th, Gyeongsoon (AD 927~935).Although the magnificent grandeur of the palace is now just an empty lot, it has been told that this area was filled with imperial buildings during the Shilla Dynasty. Currently, the region of Wolseong has a freezer made out of rocks called Seokbinggo, an archery range, horse-riding field, and a traditional playground, which resembles the grounds of the Joseon Period (the dynasty that ruled the Korean peninsula from 1392-1910). 


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Cheongsong-gun)

Jusanji Pond (주산지) is a small reservoir located in Juwangsan National Park (주왕산). It is a man-made pond that was dug out in August 1720 and completed in October of the next year. The pond has been used as a source of water for agricultural use as well as for drinking water. Even though it is small in size, about 100 meters long, 50 meters wide and 7 to 8 meters deep, the pond has never dried up from any drought.While the surrounding thick woods of Mt. Juwangsan is quite an impressive place for those who love nature, 30 willow trees which are 150 years old are rooted in the pond, which make a fantastic balance with the surrounding, creating a picturesque scenery found nowhere else.The beauty of this forest along with the nature surrounding it culminates when the shades of the trees elongate on the still waters of the pond. Words cannot express the magnificent view of the surroundings here with the water, trees, and fog altogether.The best season to visit Jusanji Pond is spring and fall. People say the best time to go is when spring buds start to appear in April and May, or when the autumn foliage is in full bloom. In the summer, much water is drained for agriculture, so the area feels empty, and in the winter, the reservoir is frozen and it is not possible to see the trees reflected on the water.Jusanji Pond is located in the inner part of Mt. Juwangsan, which, unlike the outer part of Mt. Juwangsan where hiking courses are more developed, had been considered as a hinterland because of its inaccessibility and steep mountains. It started to become known to the general public about 20 years ago as photographers came looking for beautiful landscapes. Recently, the number of visitors has grown sharply after movie director Kim Ki-duk (김기덕) featured the picturesque four seasons of the pond in the movie Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring.Even though the movie set was dismantled for environmental and management reasons to prevent water contamination, numerous visitors continue to visit a place that has preserved nature and its wild habitat. 


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

On the tourist trail near the foot of Tohamsan Mountain between Bulguksa Temple and Bomun Lake Resort are as many as 45 traditional tile-roofed and thatched houses. The folk craft village, which stands on a lot measuring 66,116m² (20,000 pyeong), is home to craftsmen and artisans who have successfully preserved the spirit and craftsmanship of their ancestors. Visitors may receive a free tour of 18 different galleries and workshops including metal, ceramics, wood crafts, jewelry, stone crafts, embroidery and earthware crafts. Artwork and crafts created by local artists are for sale at reasonable prices.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Cheongsong-gun)

Mt. Juwangsan (721m), designated as National Park No.12 in 1976, is the smallest of the national parks in Korea. Mt. Juwangsan is not so steep, making it a great place to walk and enjoy the wonderful scenery. Mt. Juwangsan is also called Mt. Seokbyeongsan, Mt. Jubangsan and Mt. Daedunsan. There is a legend that King Juwon of Silla (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) lived on this mountain after turning Silla over to Goryeo. This is where it got its name 'Juwang'. There is another legend that General Mailseong of Goryeo assassinated King Wuju, who was living here, with arrows and iron hammer.At Juwangsan, there are temples such as Daejeonsa, Gwangamsa, Yeonhwasa Temples, and hermitages such as Juwangam and Baengnyeonam. Daejeonsa Temple preserves national treasures such as the portrait of the Great Buddhist Monk Sa-Myeong, and the engraved wooden board personally made by General Lee Yeo-Song sent to the monk Sa-Myeong. In addition, You can find many interesting rocks such as Giam, Seokbyeokam, Geupsudae, Jeongsam & Adeulbawi, and also caves such as Juwanggul where Juwang hid before he was captured, Mujanggul where weapons were kept and Yeonhwagul, which used to be training grounds.There are many waterfalls that represent the beauty of Juwangsan. The representative waterfalls are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd waterfalls and the Dalgi Pokpo Waterfall. Also there are many beautiful valleys such as the Outer-Juwang Valley, Inner-Juwang Valley, Woroe Valley and Naewon Valley. On the mountainside there is a 6 meter high Jahaseong Fortress that spreads out 15km, and there is the Dalgimul Mineral Spring in the Goenae mid-stream.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Namsan Mountain in Gyeongju is home to many temples and shrines, and was considered sacred by many during the Silla Kingdom. This mountain boasts nearly 40 valleys winding down from Geumobong Peak (468 m in elevation), Gowibong Peak (494 m in elevation), and other surrounding peaks. Also, this 4 km-wide and 8km-long oval-shaped mountain runs almost perfectly north to south. Namsan Mountain is a veritable open-air museum, with 100 temples, 80 stone Buddha statues, and 60 stone pagodas scattered across the mountainside. Topographically, it features nearly 40 valleys and is divided into the Southwest Mountain, a sacred place during the Silla period, and the Southeast Mountain, where many Buddhas can be found around the valleys. Najeong Well, at the western foot of Namsan Mountain, is the mythic birthplace of King Park Hyeokgeose, founder of the Silla Kingdom. The local Yangsanjae Shrine was built in honor of its founder who lived in Seorabeol before the Silla Kingdom was established. Poseokjeong Pavilion is the place where the glorious era of the Silla Kingdom came to an end. In the Southeast Mountain region, one can encounter the Seated Buddha of Borisa Temple, a 9-meter Bulmusa Stone Buddha Statue, and a Seated Stone Buddha at Gamsil Shrine. Namsan Mountain also features 12 treasures, including Mireukgol Seated Stone Buddha, a three-storey stone pagoda in Yongsangsa Temple, the Maae Stone Buddha in Chilbulam Temple, and others. There are also twelve historic sites, such as the site of Poseokjeong Pavilion, Najeong Well, and Samneung Royal Tombs, as well as nine local tangible cultural properties (Maaegwaneumbosalsang Buddha in Samneunggol Valley, Ipgolseokbul Buddha, Yaksugol Maaeipsang Buddha, and others), and one important piece of folklore material. Namsan Mountain is also famous for its scenic landscapes in addition to its cultural heritage. Numerous valleys, unique rock formations, and beautiful trails are abundant throughout the area. Many tourists say, “You cannot say that you know Gyeongju without hiking up Namsan Mountain.” Namsan Mountaint is a place where the scenic nature and long history of the Silla Kingdom coexist, and also where the aesthetic consciousness and religious traditions of the Silla people evolved into the artform it is today.