A relaxed day & night in Gyeongju.

I’ve given myself an extra day in Gyeongju; I’m thankful for the time and the foresight.

Having taken a tour yesterday, the pressure to see things is off and I have the luxury of time. The tour also gave me a great overview of what there is to see and I’d earmarked a few places to go back to, chief of which is the Gyeongju National Museum.

I eat breakfast at the guesthouse, arriving just as a family is wrapping up. They’re washing dishes and retiring to their rooms to pack before leaving. I make an egg and toast and sit on the tatami mat looking out at the tree-filled courtyard. Once packed, the mother poses the family for a photo and I get up to offer to take a photo of the entire family for them. As they leave the daughter stops and turns to face me, offering a bow before scurrying to join her family.

I wash my dishes and place them in the drying rack before walking back to my room. I’m glad I’ve given myself this extra day in Gyeongju rather than rushing back to Seoul, and I decide to take the day slowly.

I walk from the guesthouse to the Gyeongju Gyochon Traditional Village, crossing the river on a modern bridge, the Woljeonggyo Bridge just upstream. The day before I had seen a tea shop that piqued my interest and I stop in for a tea and ice cream. The ice cream isn’t quite everything I’d have hoped it would be but the tea is good and it’s nice to sit and look out at the garden in the back before picking myself up to start my day.

I walk through the village down a narrow lane to the Woljeonggyo Bridge. The road to the museum runs along the river and I cross the bridge so that I can continue following the river as it winds towards my destination.

Inside the museum I take my time with the exhibits, lingering in the galleries and rooms we had surveyed quickly the day before. It’s a beautiful museum, and I appreciate how it’s made up of a complex of buildings rather than one large structure. It somehow makes the collection feel more manageable.

On my way back to the building with the Buddhist statues, I pass a hall advertising an exhibit of celadon works. I’m a sucker for ceramics and detour into the exhibition to take a look. I’m not disappointed and I’m thankful that my curious nature has led me here.

I return to the Silla Art Exhibition Hall in order to spend more time in the Buddhist Sculpture Hall. I love Buddhist sculptures and am happy to have the time to return. I’m especially happy to be able to spend more time with the Gilt-bronze Bhaisajyaguru Buddha of Baengnyulsa Temple, standing impressively in its own room.

Back outside I wander back along the park and climb the hills for views of the Wolseong Fortress and out towards Daereungwon. It’s a great overview of the areas I’ve explored in the past days.

Walking back down the hill I walk back towards Daereungwon to walk the stone wall path and check out the photo zone, walking through the park and the fields of poppies in bloom.

A line of people wait to take photos at the photo spot, famed for the way in which the tombs frame the magnolia trees that grow behind the Hwangnamdaechong tomb. People in hanbok pose in front of the trees staring into the distance. The photos could be stills for a Korean drama. The area leading up to the spot where people stand is worn, exposing a plastic terraced path laid down to protect the lawn.

On the other side of the park I emerge onto Hwangnidan-gil Street and stroll down the street peeking into the shops to consider all the different snacks I can sample. A line has formed in front of one particular bakery. In the window I can see people stuffing dough with red bean paste from a huge bowl. The trays are immediately thrust into an oven; as soon as the cakes are done they’re poured into boxes and handed to the next person in line.

I join the queue and almsot burn my fingers even after being cautioned about how hot the cakes are when I receive my box.

While wandering the side streets I stumble upon Skunkworks Roastery. I don’t have anything else planned for the afternoon and so I stop in and sit outside on the raised wooden floor to savor my cakes and coffee and write a few postcards to friends.

In the evening I’ve booked dinner at JusteUne in the newer section of town. After heading home to rest and shower I make my way one more time past the fields and shops of Hwangnidan-gil Street. With a little extra time I stop into the Silla Dynasty Tombs Information Center, which has exhibits better detailing the construction of the tombs along with a few artifacts.

Dinner is delicious, a coursed meal in a non-descript building next to a parking lot. I’m the first seated and during the course of my meal a group of women arrive with a bottle of champagne. I can’t tell what they’re celebrating, other than each other, which is a fantastic thing to celebrate. Unbeknownst, I raise a glass to them.

I walk back down the Street of Fashion. I’ve had an early dinner and the sun sets golden as I walk back towards the tourist area of town. I’ve scheduled my dinner early so that I can visit Donggung Palace at dusk. I’ve heard it’s most beautiful at night, lit up and reflected in Wolji Pond, and I want to spend a little time seeing it by daylight before it turns.

I walk to Daereungwon park and cut through it, admiring the tombs in the light of the late afternoon, reflected in the still pools beside them.

Approaching the Tomb of King Michu of Silla I stop in for a quick look, not wanting to lose all of the light before reaching the palace.

I retrace my steps from earlier in the day, past the Cheomseongdae Observatory and the poppy fields until I reach the main road, following it to the palace entrance just down the street.

The sun is just about to set as I arrive. It’s busy with people waiting for the sun to go down and the lights to go up. People perch on the lawns and by the pools waiting for their shot. I find a spot on a bench with no views and write postcards as I wait for the sunset.

I’n not disappointed. The Palace algow is beautiful. The pools reflect the deep blues and violets of the sky and the red columns and warm stone illuminated by orange lights.

I walk around the complex, waiting my turn to take photos at certain popular spots where people stand to have their presence memorialized by their friends and family members. Away from the popular photo spots, it’s still a tranquil place, and I follow a path through the trees to continue my cirumambulation of the pond.

When I leave I decide I want to see the Cheomseongdae Observatory once more. I walk back the way I came, finding it bathed in a cycle of colors, slowly shifting from blue to violet to white.

Now I want to complete my tour of Gyeongju by night. I walk back to my guesthouse and then along the river to the Woljeonggyo Bridge. My feet protest, but I’m determined. In many ways the city transforms in the dark. The momuments and mounds emerge from the darkness free from distractions. The crowds have thinned, the settings disappear. I’ve never seen the bridge more beautifu, the city so serenel. 🇰🇷