8.2 Gyeongju : Ancient Capital of the Silla Kingdom for a thousand years
Gyeongju , located in the southeast part of Korea was a capital city of the Silla Dynasty from BC 57 to AD 935 . In 676 , Silla eventually united three kingdoms ( Silla , Goguryeo and Baekje ) on the Korean Peninsula and established a national state identity , which was handed down to Goryeo and Joseon .
Gyeongju is designated as World Cultural Heritage listed by UNESCO , thus Gyeongju is also nicknamed “ museum without walls ”. Gyeongju has 37 royal tombs , where a great wealth of historical items , such as golden crowns , belts and earrings were discovered . Walseong , the site of demolished royal palace , and Anapji offer you a peek into the past daily life of Silla royal family .
Royal tombs Golden Crown Anapji pond
There are also plenty of Buddhist cultural heritages in Gyeongju because Buddhism was the national religion of the Silla dynasty . Bulguksa Temple and the Seokguram Grotto are the most representative Buddhist historical sites there , and as of today , a total of 147 temples , 118 Buddha statues , 96 stapes , and 22 stone lanterns have been found in the south mountain of this historic city .
Bulguksa Temple Seoguram Grotto Gyeongju Namsan Chilbumam Maaeseokbul
8.3 Andong : The Spiritual Capital of Korea
Confucianism has significantly affected the daily lives of Korean people . Koreans do not hesitate to name Andong as the home of Korean Confucianism . In Andong , there is Dosan-Seowon , a private Confucian school built over 500 years ago . Dosan-Seowon taught its students two core Confucian values – loyalty and filial piety – and honored the sages with regular memorial rites .
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