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 In the historical document Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), no records are found about the tomb, but the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) describes the king’s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)

Opened in 1983 as an official market, Gyeongju Jungang Market has almost a hundred years of history. Nearly 700 stores selling clothing, oils, rice cakes, vegetables, general goods, and meat operate with nerly 2,000 workers. The market is held every fifth day, on 2nd and 7th day of each month.


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(Seongju-gun)

Gaya hotel is located 560m above the sea level, in Gayasan National Park, which is one of the cleanest area in Korea. The popular temple Haeinsa, which is holding mystaries from the ancient times and many cultural heritage sites of Gaya are closely located. Surrouned by great natural sceneries of rocky Gaya mountain, Gaya hotel provides relaxing atmosphere, serving as a 'well-being hotel'. Especially, Gayasan, which has the only Korean wild flower botanical garden, has the most well-preserved ecosystem in Korea, allowing the wild flowers and natural grass to spring up around. The large colony of them formed around the hotel gives guests special impressions.


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(Gyeongju-si)

Seongdong Market, situated in Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, opened in 1971 and is comprised of around 300 stores and 30 street vendors. The market is on the opposite side of Gyeongju Station to the east.


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(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)

Named after Silla King Muyeol's daughter, Princess Yoseok, Yosokkoong serves traditional Korean food. The resturant is run by the Choi family, who settled on the site of Princess Yoseok's house in the Joseon Dynasty, and has passed on the restaurant and family recipes through 12 generations. All the foods served are made with organic ingredients, for a healthy taste that cannot be found anywhere else.


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.