Over the past couple of years, a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do has quietly risen to the top ranks of my favourite destinations in Korea. Rich in historic sites and archaeological discoveries – particularly in relation to the long-lost kingdom of Silla – this place has never failed to reveal something new, something incredible, something downright amazingContinue reading “Field Report: Gyeongju, South Korea (03 February 2019)”
Tag Archives: Gyeongju
Field Report: Bulguksa, Gyeongju, South Korea (02 February 2019)
There was a very large gap in my first visit to Gyeongju last year: a gap by the name of Bulguksa. On my second encounter with this historic corner of Korea, filling that gap ranked amongst my highest priorities.
Rail Report: Busan to Gyeongju via Singyeongju Station, South Korea (02-03 February 2019)
With more historic sites and cultural treasures than one can hope to see in a lifetime, Gyeongju (경주) deserves at least an overnight stay for one to properly appreciate the key attractions. That said, the sprawling city of Busan (부산) to the south – with its airport, harbour, and railway station – can also serveContinue reading “Rail Report: Busan to Gyeongju via Singyeongju Station, South Korea (02-03 February 2019)”
Rail Report: Gyeongju to Seoul on the Mugunghwa and KTX, South Korea (17 February 2018)
Travelling across Korea during the Seollal holiday rush is no picnic; not when trains are filled to bursting with hordes of people flooding back into the big urban centres from their hometowns. Fortunately, the KORAIL network’s efficient intercity services can help take some of the pain out of the annual migration … provided one isContinue reading “Rail Report: Gyeongju to Seoul on the Mugunghwa and KTX, South Korea (17 February 2018)”
Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 2 Part 2 (17 February 2018)
During the last few hours of my first visit to Gyeongju, I explored the ruins of what had once been amongst Silla’s greatest temples – now reduced to a grassy field littered with weathered stones and the ghostly outlines of long-lost buildings. Empty, silent, desolate … and for all that, a fitting canvas upon whichContinue reading “Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 2 Part 2 (17 February 2018)”
Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 2 Part 1 (17 February 2018)
In my last few posts (here, here, and here), we’ve seen some of the remarkable architectural relics of the long-lost Kingdom of Silla. Now we’re off to visit one of Korea’s finest museums, where we can admire and appreciate other historic treasures that might be far smaller in size, but are the equal of anyContinue reading “Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 2 Part 1 (17 February 2018)”
Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 1 Part 3 (16 February 2018)
Evening light-ups can be a hit-or-miss affair, especially where historic sites are concerned. That said, I’ll admit that it’s interesting to reflect on how the kings and exalted personages of Silla, with all of their untold wealth and unbridled power, could never have enjoyed the nighttime vistas (courtesy of modern-day electric lighting) that we simpleContinue reading “Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 1 Part 3 (16 February 2018)”
Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 1 Part 2 (16 February 2018)
Earlier in the day, I’d seen how the ruling class of Silla once lived in settings of unparalleled luxury over a thousand years ago, as epitomised by the remains of their gardens and palaces. As I walked amongst the silent mounds of earth marking their graves, it became clear to me that they died surroundedContinue reading “Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 1 Part 2 (16 February 2018)”
Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 1 Part 1 (16 February 2018)
Some places grow on you after more than one visit. Others, you fall in love with at first sight. In the case of Gyeongju, where the remnants of a long-lost empire lie upon the ground so thickly that the very act of taking a step feels like turning a page in a history book, IContinue reading “Field Report: Two Days in Gyeongju, South Korea – Day 1 Part 1 (16 February 2018)”
Rail Report: Seoul to Gyeongju on the KTX and Mugunghwa, South Korea (16 February 2018)
On a freezing winter’s day in Seoul, I set off on a long journey to the historic city of Gyeongju, about 300 kilometres to the southeast as the crow flies (even farther than that on the ground, of course). Let’s see what it’s like to travel from one to the other on Korea’s extensive railwayContinue reading “Rail Report: Seoul to Gyeongju on the KTX and Mugunghwa, South Korea (16 February 2018)”
Within striking distance 