A weekend in Gyeongju and my first visit to Bulguksa

Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla kingdom for almost a thousand years. Koreans call it a 지붕 없는 박물관, a museum without a roof, and after one weekend I understand why.

Getting there

The KTX from Seoul Station takes about two hours. From Gyeongju Station, bus 700 goes all the way up to Bulguksa. I bought a coffee and a 김밥 for the ride and watched the rice fields turn gold outside the window.

Bulguksa, 불국사

The temple was built in the eighth century, and its stone stairways are older than most buildings in Europe. I walked slowly through every hall. The painted eaves, 단청, look even brighter in person.

와, 진짜 아름답다. Wow, it’s really beautiful.

A monk was sweeping the courtyard and smiled when I said 안녕하세요. Small moments like that are my favourite part of travelling.

Seokguram at sunrise

The next morning I took the first bus up the mountain to Seokguram Grotto. The stone Buddha inside faces east, towards the sea, so the first light of the day reaches it.

You can’t take photos inside today, so this one is from Wikimedia Commons. Seeing it in person is worth the early alarm.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, public domain.