The ancient capital of the country of morning freshness — the city of Gyeongju

Today I propose to plunge into history, scroll the time 1000 years ago, and get acquainted with the small town of Gyeongju (경주 / Gyeongju), which is located in the south-east of the country, in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

I already told you about 5 historical districst of Geongju:

• Namsan District
• Wolson District
• Hwyongyongsa District
• Munchwalson District
• **Darynvon District

Basic facts about Gyeongju

City emblem

• One of the most ancient cities of South Korea;
• Located on the shore of the Sea of ​​Japan;
• The city changed its name 3 times: Sorabol, then Kerim, then Camson, and only in 940 it became known as Gyeongju;
• It borders with large industrial regions of Korea: with the city of Ulsan and the city of Pohang;
• Population: about 300 thousand people;
• Symbol of the city: a pine tree, a bird of Magpie and a flower of Forsatai;
• Mayor of the city since 2002: Pek San Seon (백상승).

Gyeongju location

City `s history

Note: In the history of Korea there were only 3 major states or dynasties: Silla, Koryo and Joseon

The Silla Dynasty (신라 / Silla)

The territory of Silla (marked in blue)

The history of Gyeongju City begins with the reign of the Silla Dynasty (신라 / Silla). Ancient records of the Silla dynasty claim that Gyeongju City was born in 57 BC. after the unification of 6 small settlements, and the founder of the city is King Pak HyokKose. Then this city had a different name — Sorabol (서라벌). The boundaries of Silla expanded, along with grew up and Gyeongju. By the middle of the 7th century, Gyeongju City has become not only a cultural, but also a political center of South Korea. The inhabitants of the city were the highest strata of the population, i. know. There were rumors about the city of Gyeongju also abroad. Alas, the flowering of the dynasty and the city of Gyeongju did not last long. The end of the IX century is signified in history as the time of the disintegration of the state of Silla into 3 kingdoms: Silla, Hubaekje and Thabon. And the city of Gyeongju was part of the state of Hubaekje.

A book about King Park Hyok Kose

The Koryo Dynasty (고려 / Goryeo)

King Daejo

As a result of the conquest wars, the state of Hupaece became part of the new large state of Koryo. Gyeongju City gradually, losing power and status of the city, turned into a typical province. And in 940, King Daejo (태조 왕) appropriated the city’s modern name — Gyeongju — in the same year it became the administrative center of the city of Yongnam (영남). And then the city again began to acquire its former strength and importance. And by 987, he had become the «Eastern Capital», but alas, not for long. The main reason was the dissolution of a special body, which dealt with the military affairs of the state in the east and center of the country. This happened as a result of a popular uprising for the reconstruction of Silla.

The Joseon Dynasty (조선 / Joseon)

Gyeongju in the times of Joseon

In 1392 it was the time of the Joseon Dynasty. This time was not the most favorable for the city of Gyeongju. In connection with the opening of the Great Yonmah Road, which connected Seoul with the port of Tonne (동래), due to which Gyeongju was left out. And in 1601, the capital of the province of Gyeongsang-do changed, it becomes the city of Daegu, which today is the 4th largest city in South Korea.

The Bulguksa Temple

When the Joseon Dynasty was in power, Gyeongju City was subjected to numerous attacks of robbers. And in the XIII century, a 9-storey wooden pagoda, located in the Buddhist temple of Hwuyongsa, was destroyed by the Mongol conquerors. The Imda War, which lasted for 6 years, began in 1592 and ended only in 1598, also left its mark on the city’s centuries-old history. The Buddhist temple of Bulguksa (불국사) was several times damaged , many wooden buildings belonging to the temple were burnt.

Gyeongju City since the beginning of the 20th century

Since 1895, the status and role of Gyeongju have changed several times. Starting from a sparsely populated center («Myon») by 1931, it became an urbanized district («yp»), and in 1955 Gyeongju received the proud status of «si», which in Korean means a city.

At first, the city did not play a special role in the life and development of Korea. However, since the beginning of the 20th century, Gyeongju began to conduct archaeological excavations, opened a museum, which today is the National Museum of the city. Unfortunately, excavations at that time were conducted by Japanese specialists, and many of the finds were stolen. Therefore, to this day have reached only some reports on the archaeological excavations of the city.

Tourist Map of Gyeongju

By the middle of the twentieth century, railroads had been built, one of which connected Gyeongju with Seoul (at that time the city was called Kyonson). Together with the construction of the railway, the city flourished. In the nearby provinces, factories opened, which also served as an impetus to the development of Gyeongju City.

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