Gyeongju, Ancient capital city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
Gyeongju is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, spreading between coastal plains and forested hills. The area combines residential neighborhoods with wide archaeological zones where ancient temple compounds and burial sites sit among modern roads.
This settlement served as the center of the Silla Kingdom for nearly a thousand years, ending in 935 when Korea unified under the Goryeo Dynasty. In the centuries that followed, the town became a regional administrative center with far fewer inhabitants than during its royal peak.
The landscape around the old royal capital shows burial mounds from Silla times, now used as parks where locals walk and rest under pine trees. In the old town streets, traditional hanok houses stand beside modern shops where visitors find handcrafted ceramics and local specialties.
Visitors can best explore the sites by bicycle, as many historical places connect through cycling paths that run across flat areas. The town center is easy to walk, especially in the central district where museums and ruins lie close together.
The surroundings hold more royal tombs than any other Korean city, many still unopened and covered with grass today. The Bulguksa temple grounds show stone bridges and pagodas from the 8th century, built without mortar and still standing.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
