About Gyeongju
Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla kingdom for nearly a thousand years. Round royal tombs rise like small hills in the middle of the city, with neighborhoods where people live running between them.
Cheomseongdae, said to have been built in the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla, and Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, with its pond and pavilions, are close to downtown. Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto became UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1995, and the Gyeongju Historic Areas followed in 2000.
Before sunrise, the lawns between the tombs are very still. In the low-lying air, the outlines of the mounds slowly come into view.
While you listen
The daegeum, a bamboo flute, enters very softly, like breathing. Turn the volume down and listen at a half-awake dawn, or on a night when you've stayed up far too late.
Getting there
From Gyeongju's KTX high-speed rail station or the Gyeongju express and intercity bus terminals, take a city bus.
Other songs nearby
- 부산 산복도로, 장맛비 (Busan Sanbok-doro, Monsoon Rain) about 82 km
- 안동 하회마을, 첫눈 (Andong Hahoe Village, First Snow) about 100 km
- 통영 바다, 오월 (Tongyeong Sea, May) about 131 km