Day 115
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Busan, South Korea
We arrived in Busan around 7am and the city welcomed us with rain.
We had an excursion to the city Gyeongju.
Gyeongju has so much cultural heritage and so many archaeological sites that the city rightfully bears the nickname Museum Without Walls.
Gyeongju, today nicknamed the Golden City, was the capital of the ancient Korean empire of Silla from 57 BC to 935 AD.
We started our excursion at Bulguksa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in 535 by King Pob-hung for the use of his queen to pray for the welfare of the kingdom.
Bulguksa Temple, is one of the most famous temples in Korea. Completed in 774, it is considered a masterpiece of the heyday of Buddhist art in the Silla Kingdom.
Next stop was visit to the Gyeongju National Museum, which holds over 80,000 relics from the Shilla period.
In front of the main entrance is a pavilion housing a sacred bell dedicated to King Seongdeok. It is one of the largest Asian temple bells.
It is strictly forbidden to even touch the bell, which is listed as a national treasure.
After the museum we went to the restaurant and enjoyed Korean BBQ feast for lunch. It was lots of new and interesting flavors.
Our last stop of the day was Daereungwon Tomb Complex at Tumuli Park. The park consists of 23 burial mounds. The tombs are the final resting places of Kings and other prominent figures of the Silla Empire.
For the longest time, it was assumed they were simple geologic elevations. In reality, these are burial mounds of the Kings and other dignitaries of the Silla Empire. They are actually comparable to the pyramids in which Egyptian aristocrats were laid to rest together with their valuable burial gifts.
The complex is part of Gyeongju’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The inside of the Cheonmachong tumulus is very interesting. We got to see the structure, and the replicas of the grave finds. The originals are safely stored in the National Museum.
Driving through the village we admired the iconic Korean roofs, architecture and lovely cherry blossoms.
Even though it was cold and raining non-stop all day long we had a wonderful 1st day in South Korea.
Fun fact about Busan:
The name "Busan" means "Cauldron Mountain" in Korean, with bu meaning cauldron, san meaning mountain, and po meaning harbor.
