Things to see and do Gyeongju 경주

This small tomb is not the most beautiful, but it is the tomb of the first and most beloved queen of Silla, Seondeok. She promoted the arts, Buddhism and ordered a large number of buildings during her reign. He is responsible for the construction of the Bunhwabgsa Temple, the Cheomseongdae Observatory and the nine-storey pagoda at Hwagyongsa Temple. You will often read her name when visiting the country and many Korean dramas are dedicated to this queen.

Above the Sambulsa and Mangwolsa temples there are three statues, standing upright, which were discovered by chance in the mountain in 1923 and later transported to this place. They are a Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas, and their style is more reminiscent of the statues found under Goguryeo. These three statues, which must date from the 4th or ^5th century and whose origin is unknown, are among the oldest in the country. Even if what is mysterious always intrigues us, it is not a must in the city.

This is where Hwangnyongsa Temple, the largest of the Silla temples, was located. He had a gigantic hall containing 3 huge golden statues of the Buddha. In front of it stood a 9-storey wooden pagoda 70 m high! It burned 5 times and was rebuilt until the Mongols destroyed it permanently in 1238. There is nothing left of this temple except the foundation stones. More than 40,000 objects were discovered, some of which are on display at the National Museum.