| |
 |
 |
|
| |
Gyeongju, The Origins of Modern Korean Culture!
"Gyeongju is often called a "museum without walls". Not only are relics scattered evenly over the entire city, they can be easily found in whatever area you dig. There is probably no other city or region in Korea in which cultural properties are so heavily concentrated; there are 33 National Treasures, the most important type of relic, as well as 83 Treasures. There are also 77 preserved historic sites, over 316 designated cultural properties and hundreds of old tombs."
Gyeongju, where Korea’s most cultural sites are situated, is known to be the most popular destination for foreign tourists next to the capital, Seoul. Gyeongju is a meaningful place not only for Korean people but for the international community.
The city of Gyeongju is divided into five districts that are collectively called the Gyeongju Historic Areas and registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Because these five districts are representative of Gyeongju, we will base our tour on what can be seen in these districts. Just looking at the artifacts and relics in these five districts can provide a good overall grasp of Silla culture. These five districts include: Namsan District, the treasure chest of Buddhist art; Wolseong District, the site of palace architecture of the thousand-year-empire; Daeneungwon District, where royal tombs of the early Silla kings can be found; Hwangnyongsa District, the center of Silla Buddhism; and Myeonghwalsanseong Fortress, the bastion of ancient Silla’s national defense facilities. Of these, this book will deal with Namsan District and the ancient tombs in detail.
Despite the city’s greatness, there are no in-depth books written in English that discuss historic sites and cultural relics of Gyeongju yet. It is so regrettable, that I decided to publish books in both Korean and English. This is an English version. Here, I mainly focus on cultural remains inscribed on the World Heritage List, rather than covering everything with regard to Gyeongju. In addition, compared to the Korean edition, I revised contents that require too much historical background for foreigners to understand. Nonetheless, as the book fully covers the important places and cultural remains in Gyeongju, it will satisfy your curiosity. |
|
 |
| |
Foreword : Why Gyeongju?
What kind of place is Gyeongju?
1. The Holy Land of Korean Buddhism, Gyeongju
- Seokguram Grotto: The Prototype of Korean Buddhism
- Bulguksa: Realizing Buddha Land on earth
2. City of the 1000 Years Old Dynasty, Gyeongju
- In Downtown Gyeongju
- Inside the royal tombs of Silla: The treasure chest of Silla culture
- Mount Nam: The Holy Land of Koreans Past and Present
- At the Gyeongju National Museum
Afterword: Between Development and Preservation |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
