Encountering the Splendid History and Culture of Silla | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

The Seongdeokdaewang Sinjong was started by King Gyeongdeok, the 35th ruler of Silla, to honor his late father King Seongdeok, and was completed in 771 by his son King Hyegong. At the top of the bell are dragon-shaped handles and an umtong (sound tube). The body is decorated from top with a patterned band of bosang dangcho (arabesque) designs, followed by four yu-kwak (window panels), four celestial beings, two places for the dangjwa (bell supports), and at the bottom, bands featuring bosang dangcho and lotus patterns in relief. Overall, its elegant form, splendid decorations, and beautiful, lingering sound make it the most outstanding masterpiece among Korean bells.

Suseokjeong in Gyeongju is a hanjeongsik (Korean full-course meal) restaurant located near the Gyeongju Museum. As a representative hanjeongsik restaurant in Gyeongju, it offers a heartfelt meal starting with warm sungnyung (scorched rice tea) served in brassware, along with abalone porridge, grilled short rib patties, royal glass noodles, and more. The interior of Suseokjeong is adorned with Korean traditional framed art, folding screens, and naturally formed stones (suseok), adding to its elegant atmosphere.

Gyeongju Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond is the site of a Silla royal palace's auxiliary palace. Used as the eastern palace where princes resided along with other annex buildings, it was a place for banquets during national celebrations or when welcoming important guests. After the fall of Silla, wild geese and ducks flew here, leading to the former name Anapji, derived from 'geese an' and 'duck ap.' In the 1980s, earthenware shards with the inscription 'Wolji' — meaning 'pond where the moon shines' — were unearthed. Historical records state that in the 14th year of King Munmu’s reign (674), a large pond was dug with three islands in the center and twelve mountain peaks built to the north and east of the pond. Beautiful flowers and trees were planted, and rare birds and animals were raised. This confirms that the site was indeed Wolji in Silla times, and the name was changed in 2011 to Gyeongju Donggung Palace and Wolji. Around the pond of Imhaejeon Hall, which suffered damage such as railways being built during the Japanese occupation, 26 building sites including corridors were identified in a 1975 excavation combined with dredging. Among them, three sites believed to be Silla-era buildings, including one presumed to be Imhaejeon in 1980, and Wolji were restored to the present state. Many relics were excavated here; among them, bricks engraved with a peony pattern bear the inscription 'Joro 2nd year (680),' supporting that Imhaejeon was built during King Munmu’s reign. Numerous bowls and plates were also found, believed to have been used in daily life, unlike those unearthed from Silla tombs. Though Imhaejeon was part of the auxiliary palace, its importance was significant, and Wolji is recognized as a representative relic of the original Silla palace site. The pond’s edges are curved so that the entire pond cannot be seen from any single viewpoint, an ingenious design allowing a small pond to feel like a vast ocean, showcasing the wisdom of the Silla people. The eastern palace had 27 buildings including Imhaejeon, with only three restored today. The brilliant lighting reflecting the restored buildings and Wolji’s surface makes it one of Gyeongju’s premier nightscape spots.

경북 경주시 남산에 흐트러져 있던 탑의 재료를 새로 맞추어 놓은 것으로 예로부터 능지탑 또는 연화탑이라 불려왔다고 한다. 원래는 기단 사방에 12지신상을 새긴 돌을 세우고 그 위에 연꽃무늬가 있는 석재를 쌓아올린 5층석탑이었을 것으로 추정된다.

The Tomb of Queen Seondeok of the Silla Dynasty, located at the summit of Nangsang in Gyeongju, was constructed around 646. It is a circular mound tomb 6.8 meters high and 23.6 meters in diameter, with two-tiered protective stones made of natural rock beneath the mound, without other decorations. Queen Seondeok, the daughter of King Jinpyeong who had no son, became Silla's first queen through the special Silla royal bone rank system. During her 16-year reign, she built Cheomseongdae, Bunhwangsa, and notably the nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangnyongsa, Silla's largest temple. Together with Kim Chunchu, later King Taejong Muyeol, and the great general Kim Yusin, she laid the foundation for the unification of the three kingdoms. According to the Samguk Sagi, Queen Seondeok prophesied her death and requested to be buried in Doricheon, the land of Buddha. Doricheon refers to the base of Mount Sumeru in Buddhist legend, but when her officials did not know its location, she answered the foot of Nangsang, where she was buried. Later, after the unification of the three kingdoms, King Munmu built Sacheonwangsa on Nangsang. Sacheonwang refers to the heavenly kings of Doricheon, so her tomb is effectively in Doricheon. Officials finally understood the queen's intention that the summit of Nangsang was Doricheon. The Tomb of Queen Seondeok is designated a historic site and is located near the tombs of King Sinmun, King Hyegong, King Sinmu, and King Hyoso.

사천왕사터를 지나 문무로를 조금 지나면 왼쪽으로 31대 신문왕의 능이 있다. 능 앞에는 주차장 시설이 번듯하며 잘 자란 소나무가 서 있는 묘역도 잔디로 잘 가꾸어져 있다. 신문왕(681~692년)은 삼국통일의 대업을 이룬 문무왕의 맏아들로 문무왕의 뒤를 이어 즉위하였다. 재위 12년 동안 관제를 정비하고 왕권을 확립하였으며 학문을 장려하고 인재를 양성하기 위해 국학을 설치하였다.