To learn more about Korean history and visit some of the historic sites from over a thousand years ago, we took a trip to Gyeongju, a city near the southeastern coast and capital of the Silla Kingdom, which lasted from 57 BC all the way to 935 AD (see Wikipedia for more).
To maintain the traditional style, it's one of the only cities in Korea requiring buildings to continue to use traditional-style architecture. See here:
Yangdong Folk Village
We first went to a traditional Korean village that has existed since the 1300s (and people still live there today!). It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was a great place to see traditional Korean architecture and history.
Gyeongju National Museum
This museum had a lot of interesting exhibits on the history of the Silla Kingdom.
Royal Tombs of the Silla Kingdom
In the time of the Silla Kingdom, they buried their deceased kings inside huge mounds. The idea was that they were returning them back to the "womb" of the Earth.
Cheomseongdae Observatory
This stone observatory is the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia.
Anapji Pond
This area was part of the Silla palace. We went at night and there were beautiful views of the buildings on the pond. I got some great shots of the detailing in the roofs.
