Geumgwanchong Tomb

[Gyeongju trip] daereungwon, noseo nodong tombs. Top sight of gyeongju. 경주 산책 대릉원, 노서 노동 고분군

Daereungwon
The huge, walled park has 23 tombs of Silla monarchs and family members. From the outside, they resemble substantial grassy hillocks that echo the mountains outside town. Many of the tumuli have yielded fabulous treasures, on display at the Gyeongju National Museum. One tomb, Cheonmachong, is open to visitors, but was shut for restoration at the time of writing. Thirteen metres high and 47m in diameter, the tomb was built around the end of the 5th century.

Noseo,Nodong tombs
Near the main shopping area is the Noseo-dong district, where you'll find Silla tombs. Seobongchong and Geumgwanchong are adjacent tombs built between the 4th and 5th centuries. They were excavated between 1921 and 1946; the finds included two gold crowns. Across the road is Bonghwadae, with huge trees poking out of it. It's the largest extant Silla tomb at 22m high, with a 250m circumference; adjoining it is Geumnyeongchong. Houses covered much of this area until 1984, when they were removed.

Gyeongju
Known as ‘the museum without walls’, Gyeongju (경주) has more tombs, temples, rock carvings, pagodas, Buddhist statuary and palace ruins than any other place in South Korea. It's a lovely city, stuffed to the gills with history.

Most visitors touring the city centre are taken aback by the distinctive, low-lying urban centre sculpted by astonishing and substantial round grassy tombs – called tumuli – as well as traditional architecture, with colourful hip roofs set against a canvas of green rolling mountains.

Two of Gyeongju’s not-to-be-missed sites – Bulguk-sa and Seokguram – are in the outlying districts, within reach of public transport. Gyeongju and its surrounding districts covers a vast area – some 1323 sq km – so you should plan on several days' stay if you want to visit some of the lesser-known places.

More picture instagram


#gyeongju #gyeongjutrip #topsightofgyeongju

Korean Swords

Korean Swords
-------------------------
Native production of Bronze and Iron swords appear to pick up beginning in the mid 1st millennium CE. Evidence of sword production dates to the transitional Late Bronze to Early Iron Age. An earthenware mold for a Bronze Sword was found in South Gyeongsang Province. One of the earliest swords is the Hwandudaedo or ring-pommel sword, prevalent during the 1st to 6th centuries. Until the 3rd century, these sword were very rare and presumably reserved for royalty. They became more attainable in the later 4th and during the 5th century, and are found in many higher class tombs of this period. Their production declined in the 6th century. By the last third of the Three Kingdoms period, steel making techniques had come from China & were also employed in Korean swordmaking by all three Korean kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje, & Silla). In 2013, a 5th-century sword was discovered at Geumgwanchong tomb in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The covering of the sword has the inscription Yisaji-wang (king Isaji). Records indicate that the art of sword manufacturing, still in a rudimentary state, may have been transmitted to the Japanese Archipelago from the Korean Peninsula some time in the Three Kingdoms period, along with iron smelting & manufacture & later that of steel work; these methods and techniques, as well as their updates, continued to be transmitted during the North South States Period to the Japanese Archipelago until connections with the Asian mainland were largely closed off by Japan in the early part of the Heian period. The Inariyama sword, as well as some other swords discovered in Japan, utilized the Korean 'Idu' system of writing. The swords originated in Baekje and that the kings named in their inscriptions represent Baekje kings rather than Japanese kings. The techniques for making these swords are apparently from Korea, specifically from Baekje. During the Goryeo dynasty, a limited number of Korean swords were exported for trade missions in Asia. It is likely that Korean swordmaking was influenced by the Mongols & Chinese. The Joseon period (15th to 19th centuries) is the classical era of Korean culture. Korean swords were in production both for fighting & ceremonial use. Korean swords are very scarce today, since most surviving examples were confiscated & destroyed during the colonial period. A systematic attempt was made to collect & destroy all Korean swords, armor, & all Korean martial arts equipment. The entire history of Korean swords & armor was almost lost forever, along with much of Korea's culture & traditions, because of Japanese colonial policies. After the liberation of Korea in 1945, ceremonial swords were once again manufactured, and by the 1960s, sword-making was a vibrant and increasingly secure industry; however, due to the depredations and systematic destruction by the Japanese during the Japanese occupation of Korea, many traditions & techniques were lost & were either completely unrecoverable or had yet to be recovered

For more information, visit:

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Gyeongju

Gyeongju, historically known as Seorabeol, is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering 1,324 km2 with a population of 264,091 people Gyeongju is 370 km southeast of Seoul, and 55 km east of the provincial capital, Daegu. The city borders Cheongdo and Yeongcheon to the west, Ulsan to the south and Pohang to the north, while to the east lies the coast of the Sea of Japan. Numerous low mountains—outliers of the Taebaek range—are scattered around the city.
Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla which ruled about two-thirds of the Korean Peninsula between the 7th and 9th centuries. A vast number of archaeological sites and cultural properties from this period remain in the city. Gyeongju is often referred to as the museum without walls. Among such historical treasures, Seokguram grotto, Bulguksa temple, Gyeongju Historic Areas and Yangdong Folk Village are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The many major historical sites have helped Gyeongju become one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Korea.


This video is targeted to blind users.

Attribution:
Article text available under CC-BY-SA
Creative Commons image source in video