Gyeongju, Cradle of the great Silla Kingdom

Gyeongju - Cradle of the Silla Kingdom

Gyeongju – Cradle of the great Silla Kingdom

The Korean peninsula has a long and exciting history, albeit tragic at times and sadly divided to this day. Like Vietnam, Korea has been repeatedly divided and then reunited over many centuries. The earliest recorded Korean historical period, roughly from 1000BC to 1 AD, is known as the Old Choson Period when Korea consisted of a loosely-knit amalgam of walled feudal mini-states. This gave way to the period known as The Three Kingdoms period, roughly from 1AD though 1000AD, when the peninsula was divided into 3 great nation-states: Kogoryo in the north, Baekche in the southwest, and Silla in the southeast. Although the northern state of Kogoryo eventually dominated and ruled the entire peninsula from about 1000AD through 1392 AD (glory days which present-day North Koreans have not forgotten), the Silla civilization was in many ways Korea’s greatest cultural and intellectual flowering in the arts and sciences as well as in architecture.

The Silla Kingdom was centered at Gyeongju, about 45 miles north of present-day Busan in South Korea. Much of the area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and deservedly so. The Silla Period is often referred to as Korea's Golden Age. It was Korea’s artistic zenith in painting and sculptural arts. The myriad of Buddha statues that survive today bespeak a distinctive Korean aesthetic and spirit, rather than being re-workings of Chinese and Japanese influences. The royal accoutrements of the Silla god-kings were preserved intact in tombs and are reminiscent of the splendors of the Egyptian pharaohs. There are hundreds of tombs in the Gyoenjgu area with perhaps the most famous being the Flying Horse Tomb. This tomb located in a beautiful park called Tumuli Park and the area is a lovely place for a stroll along well-kept paths, culminating in a visit to the tomb with its ten thousand artifacts- many of which are luxurious and glittering examples of the exquisite handiwork of the times.

The sciences also flourished in ancient Silla and the world’s oldest observatory, built of 365 stones in the year 647AD, can be visited at Chomsong. Another of Silla’s extraordinary cultural achievements is the oldest printed material in the history of the world. A scroll printed with woodblock type has been found, dating back to the 8th century, preceding ancient Chinese and Japanese printed scrolls by over 200 years. Gyeongju’s National Museum is second to none. An almost overwhelming treasure trove of magnificent artifacts from the Silla period, with excellent English explications, makes for an extraordinary experience.

Silla’s crown jewel is the Bulguksa Temple site, a massive and magnificent complex that echoes the glories of Silla and its shaman kings. The grounds are enormous and the buildings many – be prepared for lots of walking in this “museum without walls.” Bulguksa is undoubtedly Korea’s most impressive temple, a masterpiece of 8th-century Buddhist art and architecture. Buddhism only arrived in Korea in the mid-5th century and the Buddhism of the Silla period was still fresh and nascent. Silla, and Korea’s, unique and strong sense of identity shines through at Bulguksa.

The above highlights just scrape the surface of Gyeongju’s treasures. The area offers other attractions as well, including the bucolic beauty of Bomun Lake nearby. All in all a trip to Gyeongju to gain understanding of the Silla period offers a profound insight into Korea’s cultural richness in a truly beautiful natural setting.