May 13, 2023
Today was an exploration day in what can best be described as a tourist town or at least the tourist area of Gyeongju. We arrived on a Friday afternoon and the families were out in full force. The same was true on Saturday when the above photo was taken. The area is historically significant featuring a UNESCO World Heritage Site but most folks seem to be here for the food, shopping and tourist experience. Some even rent period costumes and stroll the sites in ancient style.
Our evening began with another traditional Korean feast, this time hosted the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism. I lost count of how many different dishes and the food just kept coming. Surprising to those who know me, I tried most dishes, even the spicy one and survived the experience.
The following day I was off to explore. Near to where we are staying is a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing ancient burial mounds containing the tombs of past note-worthies from centuries ago. There are dozens of these mounds of various sizes that may indicate the importance of the potentate or maybe the availability of dirt at that particular moment in history.
My next stop was at the Cheomseongdae Observatory, the oldest surviving observatory in Asia and possible the world. It was constructed during the 7th century kingdom of Silla and modeled on an even older observatory that is only know through historical records. Like many observatories before the invention of telescopes it was used to define and map the night sky by providing a fixed reference point on the ground to plot the movement of objects in the sky.
Nearby is the archaeological excavation of the palace and fortress of King Pasa of the Silla dynasty. Sited on the high ground above the city it commanded a large area. The excavation is still in its early stages with most of its secrets still to be uncovered.
A much later palace has been excavated and reconstructed within sight of it more ancient cousin. The Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond have been beautifully recreated near the exact site where they originally stood. This palace was also part of the Silla era but much later than the one above. It was constructed during the reign of King Munmu in 674 CE. The palace featured an ornate roof, carefully carved and painted in much the same way as the photo shows. It is sited at the edge of an artificial pond designed to reflect its beauty.
I finished my adventure with a walk down the tourist gauntlet. It reminded me of just about every other tourist mecca that I have visited with the usual assortment of shops designed to get between the visitor and their wallet as quickly as possible. I am immune to such influences, especially as I have absolutely no room for so much as a flat calendar in my luggage. However, I did decide to try some street food. It looked like a pastry on a stick and is appeared to have a delicious looking chocolate swirl. My mouth was thinking Beaver Tail, a Canadian deep fried confection so I ponied up the 4,000 WON price (about $4.00) and waited. My first clue that I had misjudged my meal was when the vendor put the concoction on a grill. He then sprayed it with cooking oil and basted it with various sauces, none of which were chocolate. It was handed to be steaming hot of a cardboard plate and it tasted like chicken. Another of life’s adventures.