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Ancient Gyeongju Today
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Gyeongju is a beautiful city with a cultural history of over 2,000 years. There are many museums, in fact the whole city is a museum. In 2000 UNESCO included the Gyeongju Historic Areas in its World Heritage List. |
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Left: Bomun Tourist Resort In the last 30 years many of the historical sites have been restored and all of the new construction has been kept in the traditional style. |
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Throughout Korea there are rice fields in any of the flat areas. Here the rice fields go right up to the back of the condominium. There are mountains throughout Korea and most of the Buddhist temples are located at the base of the mountains. | |
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Left: Ch'eomseongdae Astronomical Observatory, National Treasure No. 31 This is the oldest observatory in the Orient and was built during the rule of Queen Sondok (632-647) and was used to chart the heavens. At the far left is a water wheel and a large structure covered with flowers in the same shape of the observatory. |
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Daenungwon - Tumuli Park has burial mounds constructed of stone and earth mounds covering each them. The Silla royal tombs in this park are 2,000 years old. There are about two dozen tombs in the park. They are up to 80 meters in diameter. |
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Left:
Imhaejon Site Imhaejon was constructed in 674 during the reign of King Mummu as an annex to his palace as a pavilion. Anapji was an artificial pond in the palace garden and was constructed in the shape of the map of the Unified Silla Kingdom. |
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Bomun Resort A huge traditional water mill and 12-meter-high artificial waterfall, the largest of its kind in Korea, are located in the Bomun Lake Resort. The resort also has other facilities such as a 100-meter fountain with scheduled performances, ferryboat marina, Yukbuchon Convention Hall, Sonjae Museum of Contemporary Art, Bomun Outdoor Performance Hall, and a drive-in theater. Several hiking trails, suitable for all levels of fitness, explore the scenic beauty of the area. Different sections are named Cherry Blossom trail, Willow trail, and Fountain Trail, giving an indication of the types of scenery you can find along them. Ch'eomseongdae Observatory The 12 rectangular base stones are positioned in a square, three on each side, representing the four seasons and twelve months of each year. The twelve tiers of stones to the window entrance and twelve tiers above the window opening also represent the 12 months of the year (or the 12 symbols of the zodiac). For over two thousand years, astronomers studied the movements of stars and planets and charted them. They predicted solar and lunar eclipses, as well as the courses of comets. Court astrologers reported and interpreted their findings to the King who would then act according to their predictions. The stars dictated all aspects of policy making:for agricultural developments, celebrations, wars, and other events and festivals. Astrology also shaped people's views of life and the universe. Koreans still tend to believe that the exact time of birth for each person is closely governed by the heavens. Tumuli Park Anapji Pond
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