Gyeongju Five Royal Tombs (경주 오릉)
3.4Km 2025-06-13
38-9 Geumseong-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
The Five Royal Tombs (called Oreung in Korean) have been officially designated Historic Site No. 172 and are the final resting places of four kings of the Park clan—King Park Hyeokgeose (founder of the Silla Kingdom), King Namhae, King Yuri, and King Jabi—and one queen (Queen Aryeong, wife of King Park Hyeokgeose).
To the east of the royal tombs lies Sungdeokjeon Shrine, which holds the ancestral tablet of King Park Hyeokgeose. Behind the shrine is the Aryeongjeong Well, said to be the birthplace of Queen Aryeong.
Yosukgung 1779 (요석궁1779)
3.5Km 2025-03-18
19-4 Gyochonan-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Named after Silla King Muyeol's daughter Princess Yoseok, Yosukgung 1779 is a fine dining restaurant that serves traditional Korean food. The resturant is run by the Choi family, who settled on the site of Princess Yoseok's house during 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.
Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond (경주 동궁과 월지)
3.5Km 2025-08-06
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.
◎ Travel information to meet Hallyu’s charm - "The Beauty Inside"
Se-gye visits this place to refresh her mind after she argues with Do-jae over the contract. Being one of the most famous tourist sites in Gyeongju, the scenery here is enough to help you forget the argument that you’ve just had, especially at night.
Gyeongjuhyanggyo Local Confucian School (경주향교)
3.5Km 2025-06-12
27-20 Gyochonan-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongjuhyanggyo Local Confucian School is located near Gyochon Hanok Village in Gyeongju. The surrounding areas, Gyochon, Gyori, and Gyodong, derive their names because of this school. Although the exact date of its original construction is unknown, Gyeongju Hyanggyo was renovated during the reign of King Seongjong of the Joseon Dynasty, modeled after Seoul’s Seonggyungwan National Academy. The buildings follow the typical Confucian layout of “hall in the front, shrine in the back.” While seowon were private academies, hyanggyo were public institutions. Although it no longer serves the educational purpose, every spring and autumn it hosts traditional Confucian rituals. It also offers cultural programs such as tea ceremonies, rice-cake pounding, and archery. From April to October it hosts traditional Korean-style demonstration weddings, where visitors can participate in the ceremonies for free.
Gyeongju Gyochon Traditional Village (경주 교촌마을)
3.5Km 2025-05-21
39-2 Gyochon-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
At Gyeongju Gyochon Village, 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). The village centers around the Gyeongju Choi Clan, a family known to have maintained their wealth for over 12 generations, producing many important people. Visitors can learn about the lifestyle and spending habits that enabled the family to do this. The village is also home to the site of Yoseokgung, the house of Silla Princess Yoseok. Nearby attractions include Gyerim Forest, Naemulwangneung Royal Tomb, and Gyeongjuhyanggyo Local Confucian School.
Gyeongju Gyerim Forest (경주 계림)
3.6Km 2020-07-06
Gyo-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-8743
Gyerim Forest is located between the Cheomseongdae Observatory and Wolseong Fortress. The forest is thickly populated by ancient zelkova and willow trees rooted on gently sloping hills and along the small stream in the northwest part of the woods. According to legend, the forest is closely associated with myths surrounding the birth of Alji, the founder of the Gyeongju Kim clan. As such, it is designated national Historic Site No. 19.
Legend has it that King Talhae heard a rooster crying from deep inside the Sirim Woods. Chancellor Hogong was sent to investigate. Upon arriving, he found a rooster crying underneath a tree on which hung a golden box. Hogong immediately reported his find to the king, who instructed him to bring the golden box into the palace. The king opened the box and found a small child inside, Kim Alji. The forest, which had previously been called ‘Sirim’ or ‘Gurim’, became known as ‘Gyerim’, ('gye’ meaning rooster). The name Gyerim was also used to refer to the Silla kingdom.
Alji was adopted as the king’s son, but because the crown was passed on to King Pasa of the Park family, he never ascended the throne. The Kim clan later became the royal bloodline with the coronation of King Naemul some years later.
The memorial stone recording the birth of Kim Alji was erected in the third year of King Sunjo's rule in the Joseon dynasty. Located close to the royal fortress of Silla, the forest is still deeply revered as the mystical birthplace of the first ancestor of the royal Kim clan of Silla. Yellow canola blossoms along the path connecting Daereungwon with Gyerim and Banwolseong only add to the magical ambiance of the forest.
Gyeongju Royal Tomb of King Naemul (경주 내물왕릉)
3.6Km 2020-04-04
Gyo-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6100
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 (22 m in diameter and 5.3 m 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.
Gyeongju Oreung Hanok (경주오릉한옥)
3.7Km 2024-12-19
12-17 , Gukdang 2-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-10-8858-3183
Oreung Hanok in Gyeongju, is a guesthouse just across Namcheon Stream from Gyeongju’s Five Royal Tombs (‘oreung’ in Korean). The guesthouse’s location gives it a panoramic view not only of the tomb complex but over much of the 1,000 year old city of Gyeongju. The cozy rooms have double doors to block drafts and noise, and clean white bedding; while the spacious yard outside is a good spot for taking photos. The bustling Hwangnidan Street is a 15-minute walk away, while must-see sites Cheomseongdae, the Daereungwon tomb complex, Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond are 10 minutes away by car.
Gyeongju Hwangnyongsa Temple Site (경주 황룡사지)
3.8Km 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.
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