Gyeongju-si Special Tourist Zone (경주시 관광특구)

3.5 Km 12803 2023-01-03

614, Gyeonggam-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6084

Gyeongju was the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Silla. The city is often referred to as a “museum without walls” because of the many cultural relics scattered throughout the city. Almost everything in this city, from the streets to the mountains, is rich in history. Gyeongju has roughly 300 sites that have been designated as a cultural heritage, with some of them being UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Sites.

The Gyeongju Special Tourist Zone includes the districts of Namsan, Wolseong, Daereungwon, Hwangryongsa, and Sanseong. This area has a total of 52 cultural assets registered on the World Heritage list. Many of the hills are actually royal tombs and fields of grass used to be sites of ancient temples.

The entire Namsan Mountain can almost be considered a cultural asset because of the many stone pagodas and Buddha statues that can be found here. The Bulguk district is home to many of Gyeongju’s most well-known attractions such as Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Gyeongju Folk Village, Silla Arts and Science Museum, and Goereung.

In the Bomun district, there are plenty of recreation facilities surrounding Bomunho Lake. Other attractions in the area include Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park, Gyeongju World, and Silla Millennium Park.

[Gyeongju Special Tourist Zone]
Areas included: Downtown area, Bomun Lake Resort, and Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
Area size: 32,650,000㎡
Tourist Attractions: Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Daereungwon Tomb Complex, Namsan Mountain, Bomunho Lake, Shilla Millennium Park, Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park, etc.

Bunhwangsa Temple (분황사)

3.8 Km 31442 2024-02-29

94-11 Bunhwang-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Bunhwangsa Temple, located next to the ruins of Hwangnyongsa Temple in Gyeongju, was established in 634 during the Silla dynasty. Visitors can see cultural assets such as the Stone Brick Pagoda designated as a national treasure, and the Pedestal for the Stele of State Preceptor Hwajaeng registered as a Historic Site. Despite being a significant and ancient temple, much of it was lost during wars such as the Mongolia invasions and the Japanese invasions of Korea, leaving only a few buildings and temple grounds like Bogwangjeon Hall. Nearby, there is the Hwangnyongsa Museum.

Gyeongju Hwangnyongsa Temple Site (경주 황룡사지)

4.2 Km 21171 2021-01-29

64-19, Imhae-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6100

Hwangnyongsa Temple Site is located in front of Bunhwangsa Temple in Guhang-dong, Gyeongju. During the Silla Era, the Hwangnyongsa Temple was the nation’s largest temple and housed the bulk of the country’s major Buddhist treasures.

Construction of the temple began in 553 on a field east of the royal compound under the commission of King Jinheung. The king originally planned to build a palace, but decided to build a temple instead, after receiving reports that a yellow dragon had been spotted on the building site. The temple was thus named Hwangnyongsa (Temple of Yellow Dragon) and was completed in 569, seventeen years after construction began. The temple murals featured an old pine tree drawn by Artist Solgeo. During the Silla Era, the temple was the center of state-sanctioned Buddhism.

Later, when monk Jajang was studying in China during the Tang dynasty, he came across a god as he was passing by Taihe Pond. The god said to him, “The yellow dragon, which is my eldest son, is guarding Hwangnyongsa Temple upon orders of Brahma, the Creator. If you build a nine-story pagoda upon your return to Silla, the neighboring states will surrender and pay tribute, and the royal cause will be stronger. Once the construction of the pagoda is complete, prepare a memorial service for the local gods and pardon any of the country's criminals. If you follow all I have told you, no other state will dare invade Silla.”

After this encounter, Jajang returned to Silla and convinced Queen Seondeok to build the nine-story pagoda. Master architect Abiji of the neighboring state Baekje designed the pagoda and the project was built by Yongchun and 200 men using wood and stone. The night before the columns were to be erected, Architect Abiji of Baekje dreamed of the fall of Baekje and refused to complete the project. With a peal of thunder, an old monk and a man of great strength suddenly appeared from the temple's main hall, erected the columns, and magically disappeared. Abiji was so shocked at the sight that he accepted his country’s future demise as the fate of the gods and once again restarted work on the temple. (From Samgungnyusa, the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms)

In the twenty-three years following the completion of the pagoda, Queen Seondeok unified the Three Kingdoms; later, numerous scholars pointed to the pagoda as a contributing factor in the unification. Of the three treasures of Silla, two were located at Hwangnyongsa Temple. The largest bell of Silla was also in the temple, but was taken away during the Mongol invasion. The highest monks of Silla preached at the temple, and many kings came to listen to the Buddhist teachings.

During excavation work in July 1969, the massive foundation stones of the sermon hall, auditorium, and pagoda were found. Eight years of archaeological excavations and studies revealed the unique layout of the temple grounds, which consisted of one pagoda and three halls; also found were 40,000 or so ancient artifacts. Though foundation stones and other structures from the bottom of the temple were identified through excavation, there are no historical clues about the temple’s upper design, making the restoration of the temple in its entirety practically impossible. The size of the temple, based on archeological findings, was about 70 acres, roughly eight times larger than that of Bulguksa Temple.

Himart - Hwangseong Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (하이마트 황성점)

4.3 Km 0 2024-04-19

46, Wonji-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

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Homeplus - Gyeongju Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (홈플러스 경주)

4.3 Km 0 2024-04-22

97, Gongdan-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

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Hanok Stay Joadang [Korea Quality] 한옥스테이 조아당[한국관광 품질인증]

4.5 Km 1 2023-09-12

11, Wonhyo-ro 213beon-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-10-6520-5074

oadang is a private hanok stay on Wonhyoro-gil, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The inside of this traditional hanok is finished with cypresswood, and guests can catch the scent of cypress and feel refreshed. There are two guestrooms, both with a queen-size bed, and one with its own bathroom. The location is great for walking and for seeing the sights of Gyeongju.

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond (경주 동궁과 월지)

4.6 Km 136783 2024-04-08

102 Wonhwa-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-750-8655

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond in Gyeongju are secondary palace sites of Silla. The palace, along with other secondary palaces, was used as the eastern palace where the prince lived, and banquets were held during auspicious events or to welcome important guests. It is also where King Gyeongsun of Silla invited King Wang Geon of Goryeo and had a feast to complain about the critical situation in 931 after being invaded by Gyeon Hwon. After unifying the three kingdoms, Silla's King Munmu dug a large pond in the 14th year of his reign (674), creating three islands in the center of the pond along with a 12-peaked mountain to the northeast. Beautiful flowers and trees were planted here, and rare birds and animals were raised. In the Samguksagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) from the Goryeo dynasty, there is only a record of Imhaejeon Hall and no mention of Anapji Pond. After Silla fell and the place fell into ruins during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, poets and calligraphers looked at the pond and recited a line of poetry that says, “The once splendid palace is gone, and only geese and ducks fly in.” That's why the place is called Anapji, using the letters 'an' for wild geese and 'ab' for ducks. In the 1980s, pottery fragments with the inscription "Wolji" were excavated, and it was confirmed that this area was originally called "Wolji," which means "a pond that reflects the moon." And the name Anapji was changed to Wolji Pond afterwards.

Tomb of Queen Seondeok (경주 선덕여왕릉)

4.6 Km 29749 2022-07-27

Baeban-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6100

The Tomb of Queen Seondeok is a round tumulus with a circumference of 73 meters. Aside from the fact that it is circled by a protective two-layer rock, the tomb has no other unique features. As the oldest daughter of King Jinpyeong, Queen Seondeok became the first queen of the Silla Kingdom. During the 16th year of her reign, Bunhwangsa Temple and Cheomseongdae Observatory were built. She also ordered the construction of the famous nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangyongsa Temple, a significant achievement of Buddhist architecture. While many of her efforts laid the foundation for the unification of Three Kingdoms of Korea, Queen Seondeok’s reign was plagued by rebellion and strife and she died in 647 during a rebellion, 23 years before unification was realized.

Suseokjeong (수석정)

4.7 Km 22832 2024-02-23

41 Naeri-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
054-748-0835

Situated just ten minutes from the Gyeongju National Museum, Suseokjeong offers an opportunity to savor the refined culinary art of Korean table d'hote. Its signature dish is tteokgalbi jeongsik (grilled galbi patties set menu). The meal begins with warm sungnyung (scorched rice soup) served in a yugi bowl, followed by a hearty spread that includes jeonbokjuk (abalone porridge), tteokgalbi, and gungjung japchae (royal japchae). For dessert, guests can enjoy dried fruits and sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch). Nearby attractions include the Neungjitap Pagoda Site, Rock-carved Buddhas in the Tapgok Valley, and the Stone Seated Buddha in the Mireukgok Valley of Namsan Mountain.

Myeongdong Kalguksu (명동칼국수)

4.8 Km 4570 2024-02-28

46-4 Yongdam-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Myeongdong Kalguksu is a noodle restaurant specializing in kalguksu (noodle soup), located near Gyeongju Hwangseong Park. It offers kalguksu, haemul kalguksu (noodle soup with seafood), mandu jeongol (mandu hot pot), and more, prepared with chewy noodles and rich anchovy broth. After your meal, you can explore nearby attractions such as Gyeongju Civic Stadium, Arts Center, and Bitnuri Garden, as this area is rich in the cultural and historical heritage of the Silla dynasty.

Gyeongju-si Special Tourist Zone (경주시 관광특구) - Area information - Korea travel information