Past and present co-exist in Gyeongju, South Korea
By Rama Gaind
ANYONE would become enchanted with Gyeongju in South Korea. This is where history is seen, heard, tasted and felt. It basks in the clear waters of the east coast.
Gyeongju is a place where past and present co-exist with a history of 1000 years.
Gyeongju, the city where the full-flourished culture of the unified Silla is still alive, is one of the 10 historic sites designated by UNESCO.
As a famous place of historic interest with the nickname of ‘Museum Without Walls’, it has 118 authorised and 161 unauthorised cultural properties. The city, which is now inhabited with 300,000 people, is filled with innumerable historical sites and ancient tombs in every corner.
Most of the important cultural and historic relics are within walking distance of each other. Royal tombs, ancient palace sites, royal gardens and ponds, temples and structures like Cheomseongdae (Heavenly Horse Tomb) and the Gyeongju National Museum truly make the entire city an open museum.
The spirit of the Age of Silla is spread throughout the Great Tombs parks, with 23 tombs forming the park. Mt Tohamsan, considered by many to be a holy mountain, has the Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple on both sides. Both were designated world cultural heritage sites by UNESCO on December 6, 1995.
While there, do not miss out on the experience of staying at the Gyeongju Bomun Lake Resort (Hotel Hyundai) which sits on 2,616.3 acres around Bomun Lake. It is well deserved of its reputation as one of the most beautiful cultural resorts representing Korea.
Ranging from convention halls to recreation facilities, traditional culture and art performances, sports and leisure, the resort offers you genuine relaxation.
Accommodation houses are aplenty, with convention centre facilities in abundance. For entertainment there’s the outdoor theatre, art museum, numerous restaurants, an amusement park, water sports and leisure with a number of golf courses.
The resort, overlooking the lake, is not only ideal for business meetings, but offers total relaxation for the holidaymaker – all on one location. With indoor and outdoor hot spring swimming pool, hot spring sauna, here is an oasis of breath-taking proportions!
You’ll come away mesmerised!
