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)

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(Gyeongju-si)

Shilla Millennium Park is a theme park integrating both education and entertainment about the history and culture of the Silla Period.Focusing on the Silla Period (57 BC - AD 935), the park reproduces Silla architecture and a village of aristocrats, tells children fun stories about the period, and offers symbolic architecture such as Emile Tower and Seokbinggo. Visitors are also invited to participate in things such as the Craft Clinic.Visitors can enjoy an outdoor set in which the famous Korean drama "Queen Seondeok (2009)" was filmed. In addition, the park houses Ragung, the first hanok (traditional Korean house) hotel in Korea. It became famous when it appeared as Yoon Ji-hoo’s home in the Korean drama , “Boys over Flowers (2009).” The hotel is divided into Suite Hanok and Royal Suite Hanok. Inside each hanok is an outdoor open bath offering comfort and rest to visitors. For more information on Ragung, call +82-54-778-2100 or visit the official website. 


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

The restaurant of Pyeongyang Naengmyeon (평양냉면, cold noodles) has been around for 65 years and thus is very famous in Gyeongju. Its noodles are hand-made from starch of Korea-grown buckwheat and potato and broth is made by deeply boiling beef bones. So, noodles are chewy and broth tastes rich and clean. The restaurant offers two main dishes: Pyeongyang-style and Hamheong-style Naengmyeon. Pyeongyang Naengmyeong is buckwheat-based noodles with cold beef broth while Hamheung Naengmyeon is potato-based noodles with spicy sauce. Other dishes on the menu include Bulgogi (marinated beef), Yangnyeom Galbi (Marinated grilled beef ribs).


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

BomunTourist Complex is the international tourist district of Gyeongju. This tourist district is formed with Bomunho Lake at its center, located about 10km east of downtown Gyeongju. The dimensions of the area is 19.38 square km, and it is designated as a spa and special tourist district. It is a total tourist complex that opened in April 1979. At the entrance, the stream from Deokdongho Lake flows in, powering a water mill inside, and flows on to a 12m artificial waterfall.Within the Bomun Tourist Complex are facilities designed in a traditional style such as the tourist center, international conference room, golf resort, shopping mall, and a tourist hotel. It contains many amusement facilities such as a ferry port, Yukbu Village, Seonjae Art Gallery, Bomun Outdoor Performance Hall, drive-in theater, and Gyeongju World. Every year from April to January the following year, traditional Korean music (Gugak) performances are held free of charge at Bomun Outdoor Performance Hall. You can also enjoy the hot spring in the Bomun District. Along the lake is a long walkway with many cherry trees. In April the whole walkway is covered with pink petals of cherry blossoms.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Bulguksa Temple is the representative relic of Gyeongju and was designated as a World Cultural Asset by UNESCO in 1995. The beauty of the temple itself and the artistic touch of the stone relics are known throughout the world.Bulguksa Temple was built in 528 during the Silla Kingdom, in the 15th year of King Beop-Heung's reign (514-540). The temple was originally called ‘Hwaeom Bulguksa Temple’ or ‘Beopryusa Temple’ and was rebuilt by Kim Dae-Seong (700-774), who started rebuilding the temple in 751 during the reign of King Gyeong-Deok (r. 742-765) and completed it in 774 during the reign of King Hye-Gong (r. 765-780). Upon completion, the temple’s name was changed to Bulguksa.Bulguksa Temple underwent numerous renovations from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), but was burned down during the Imjin War (Japanese Invasions, 1592-1598).Reconstruction started again in 1604 during the 37th year of King Seon-jo’s reign (Joseon Dynasty) and was renovated about 40 times until 1805 (during the reign of King Sun-Jo, 1790-1834). After this time, the temple suffered serious damage and was often the target of robbers.In 1969, the Bulguksa Temple Restoration Committee was formed and in 1973, Mulseoljeon, Gwaneumjeon, Birojeon, Gyeongru, and Hoerang (all of which had previously been demolished) were rebuilt. Other old or broken sites (such as Daeungjeon, Geungnakjeon, Beomyeongnu and Jahamun) were repaired.Even today, Bulguksa Temple is home to many important cultural relics such as Dabotap Pagoda (National Treasure No. 20), Seokgatap Pagoda (National Treasure No. 21) Yeonhwa-gyo & Chilbo-gyo Bridges (National Treasure No. 22), Cheongun-gyo & Baegun-gyo Bridges (National Treasure No. 23), the Golden Seated Vairocana Buddhist Figure (National Treasure No. 26), the Golden Seated Amita Figure (National Treasure No. 27), and Saritap Pagoda (Treasure No. 61).


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

The 2013 Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival will be held from April 12 to 14 at Gyeongju City's three most beautiful sites for viewing cherry blossoms: Bomun Lake Resort (경주 보문관광단지), Dongbu Historic Complex (동부사적지), and Heungmu Park & Geumjangdae (흥무공원, 금성대). Each area will have a variety of events and programs, including musical performances, traditional wedding ceremonies, and photo contests.  


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Cheomseongdae is the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia. Constructed during the reign of Queen Seon-deok (632-647), it was used for observing the stars in order to forecast the weather. This stone structure is a beautiful combination of straight lines and curves, and was designated as National Treasure No.31 on December 20th, 1962. Cheomseongdae was built in a cylinder shape with stones 30cm in diameter. 362 stones were piled up to make 27 levels. Roughly 4.16m up from the bottom there is a 1㎡ square entrance and a space to hang a ladder under it. The inside is filled with soil up to the 12th level, and the 19th, 20th, 25th, and 26th levels all have long rocks hanging on two areas, shaped as the Chinese letter '井' (jeong). It stands 9.17m high and the base stone on each side measures 5.35m. The Vernal Equinox, Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice, Summer Solstice and the 24 solar terms (also known as the astronomical solar year) were determined by the observation of stars. The pavilion stone is believed to have been used as a standard of deciding directions, north, south, east and west. The 362 stones used to build Cheomseongdae represented the 362 days in a lunar year.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

The Gyeongju Historic Area, registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage on November 2000, is an area that embodies the time-honored history and culture of Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (新羅, 57-935)The Gyeongju Historic Area can be divided into 5 major sections.The first section is the Namsan Area, a treasure trove of Buddhist art masterpieces dating back to the Silla Kingdom. Gyeongju Namsan Mountain (often referred to as an ‘outdoor museum’) is home to many historical heritage sites from the Silla Kingdom. Major attractions include: Poseokjeong (Historic Site No.1), Tapgok Maaejosanggun (Treasure No. 201), Cheollyongsaji Three-story Stone Pagoda (Treasure No. 1188), Chilbulam Maae Stone Buddha (Treasure No. 200), Bulgok Seated Stone Buddha (Treasure No. 198), and 37 other Buddhist relicsThe second section is the Wolseong Area, one of the former palace sites of the Silla Kingdom. The area consists of Gyerim (Historic Site No. 19); Imhaejeonji (Historic Site No. 18), a Silla Royal Palace site; and Cheomseongdae (National Treasure No. 31), the oldest observatory in the East. Daereungwon area, the third area, features a cluster of the royal graves of the Kings and Queens of Silla.Also in the same area are Gobungun (a cluster of old graves) in Nodong-ri (Historic Site No. 38), Gobungun (a cluster of old graves) in Noseo-ri (Historic Site No. 39) Gobungun (a cluster of old graves) in Hwangnam-ri (Historic Site No. 40), and Oreung (Historic Site No. 172), among others. Archaeologists have discovered a number of invaluable relics and historic items in this area such as Geumgwan (golden crown), Cheonmado (a painting of flying horses), and numerous pottery pieces. These finds are perhaps the greatest clues into the life of the people of the Silla Dynasty.Area number four, the Hwangnyongsa Area, is where the former site of the Hwangnyongsa Temple (Historic Site No. 246) and Bunhwangsa Stone Pagoda are located. Lastly, is the Sanseong Area, housing remnants of the major defense system for the capital city. The site consists of Myeonghwalsanseong Fortress (Historic Site No. 47) which is estimated to be around 400 years old.The Gyeongju Historic Area has a total of 52 designated cultural assets that are registered as World Cultural Heritages. 


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Andong-si)

Hahoe Village is home to descendants of the Ryu clan of Pungsan and is well-known for its traditional houses. Birthplace of renowned scholars of the Joseon Period such as Gyeomam Ryu Un-ryong and Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong, the village became even more famous after Queen Elizabeth of England visited on April 21, 1999.Hahoe Village (translating to “Village Enveloped by Water”) gets its name from Nakdong River, which flows around the town’s perimeter. The village is located at the foothills of Hwasan Mountain, an offshoot of Taebaek Mountain that rises up to the east. The center of the village is populated by large tile-roofed houses belonging to the Ryu clan, adding their own unique charm to the surrounding thatched roofs.Hahoe Village boasts exquisite scenic sights: the elegant Nakdong River flowing around the village, the magnificent Buyongdae Cliff, endlessly unfolding sandy beaches, and lush, ancient pine trees. Visitors can take the boat to Buyongdae Cliff for a panoramic view of the village.In addition to breathtaking scenery, Hahoe Village offers delectable local delicacies. Try the Andong Soju (distilled alcoholic beverage), Heotjesabap (a type of Bibimbap eaten by the nobles), Andong Gangodeungeo (salted mackerel), and Andong Guksu (a kind of noodle dish).Nearby attractions include Bongjeongsa Temple (built during the Silla Period), Gosan Seowon (Confucian Academy), Gwiraejeong, Gyemyeongsan Mountain Recreational Forest, Hakgasan Mountain Recreational Forest, and Waryongsan Mountain.Hahoe Village, along with Yangdong Village in Gyeongju, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List under the category of “Historic Villages in Korea” on July 31, 2010.Andong Mask Dance Festival is held every autumn.