Asia (E)

Our trip to South Korea is coming to an end. It is always a pity to go back home.

August 20th

We are still in Busan. Once again we got up early and went out into the streets. Today, without knowing it yet, we were going to visit one of the places we liked the most in South Korea: the Tongdosa Shrine.

But first we had to get there. To do so, we took the metro line 1 to the last stop, Nopo Dong, and there we took the bus to the Busan Central Bus Terminal. The ticket costs 1,950₩ (€1.37) and takes about 40 minutes to get to Tongdosa Station.

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Tongdosa Temple is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and is located on the southern side of Mount Chiseosan.

Tongdosa is one of the Three Jewel temples and represents Gautama Buddha. It is together with Haeinsa and Songgwangsa.

Tongdosa was established by the monk Jajang-yulsa after returning from Tang China in 646 AD, during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla. It flourished during the Later Silla and Goryeo periods (918-1392), when Buddhism was the state religion.

Only the Mahavira Hall (the main Dharma worship hall) survived the Japanese invasion in the late 16th century.

From the station it is about 200 metres to the entrance gate to the compound. If you drive, you will be charged 3,000₩ (€2.10). If you walk, it’s free.

As always, we recommend traveling with good health insurance. IATI is a specialist in travel insurance and, for being our reader, you have a 5% discount.

From here begins a beautiful path through a wooded area of about 500 metres.

Tongdosa Temple is divided into three parts: the lower, middle and upper complex.

In the lower complex, the first thing you will find is the Tondogsa Seongbo Buddhist Museum. Its aim is to help us understand Buddhist culture. It does this through the study of the Buddhist heritage of the Tongdosa temple.

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The museum preserves and exhibits 30,000 pieces of cultural heritage. It is the largest museum of religious treasures in the country.

There are numerous buildings in the lower enclosure. We pass by the Iljimun Gate or Single Pillar Gate. Behind it is the Cheonwangmun Gate, where we find the four Guardian Kings.

Crossing the gate we find the Yeongsanjoen hall dedicated to 8 paintings depicting the life of Sakyamuni Buddha organised with eight important events.

Also the Yaksajeon hall dedicated to the Buddha Bhaisalyaguru (Master of Medicine). He takes care of the illnesses of sentient beings. The accompanying Bodhsattvas of the Buddha are Bodhisattva Suryaprabha Sunlight and Bodhisattva Candraprabha Moonlight.

We cross the Bulimun Gate and come out into the middle complex. Here we also have several remarkable buildings, such as the Daegwangmyeongjoen Hall dedicated to Vairocana Buddha, the manifestation body of cosmic truths.

There is also the Gwaneumjeon Hall dedicated to Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Love, Kindness and Compassion, who is the most popular in East Asian Buddhist culture.

We go up a couple of steps and we are already in the upper complex. Straight ahead is the Daeungjeon Hall. It is the main Dharma hall and was built in 1845 after the destruction of the original one during the Japanese invasion.

Behind the hall is the Sanira Buddha Stupa which houses the relics of Sakyamuni Buddha brought by Master Jajang from China.

There is also the Myeongbujeon Hall dedicated to Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and the ten kings of the underworld. Or the Eungjinjeon Hall dedicated to 16 Arahts (liberated ones), including Sakyamuni Buddha in the centre, Maitreya Bodhisattva on the left and Dipankara Bodhisattva on the right.

While we were there, we saw people queuing in a small building where they seemed to be giving something. We headed there but the queue was huge. Nothing could make up for waiting in the hot sun for a long time.

We decided to go into another building nearby looking for a toilet. We went through our door and there were a lot of people eating. Great, it was the restaurant but it was early for us, we turned around but the crowd was pushing us inside.

It turned out to be the church canteen. On Sundays they give free meals to the parishioners who visit the temple and they ‘forced’ us to eat. We were the only westerners we saw in the temple and in the hall.

Vegan food from the monks at the temple. It was tasty and fresh, to mitigate the heat. While we were eating, the lady who sat next to me, the one who had been pushing me from the door, came to speak to us in Korean. The only thing we thought we understood was that, as we had gone by bus, she offered to take us back to Busan in her car.

We politely made him understand that he would not. We were very tired and, besides, we wanted to continue walking around the temple a little longer.

After lunch we continued our walk and took the opportunity to buy some souvenirs in the temple shop. Since we had eaten for free…

The truth is that the temple is amazing. Together with its surroundings, it is one of the temples we liked the most in South Korea. It is also free.

We walked back to the station. There the problem was to find the platform back to Busan. Everything was in Korean. In a queue we asked and they confirmed (by signs) that it was the one. We took a photo of the sign to translate it… it translated as ulcerous acid. It must be a beautiful city.

We got off the bus and went to the hotel for a shower. Refreshed, we set off on our way to the Oryukdo Skywalk.

The Oryukdo islands are a group of rocky islands off the southern coast of Busan. Depending on the day and the tide, they can look like five islands or six islands. Hence their name (‘o’ means five and ‘yuk’ means six in Korean).

The Oryukdo Skywalk is a glass walkway that opened in 2013 on the coastal cliff. The viewing platform is completely free of charge and offers good views of the Oryukdo Islands and the coastline.

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They give you some cloth covers for your feet and off you go to take photos for instagram.

We had a cool drink in the cafeteria at the lookout point, where they charged us 14,500₩ (10.20€) and we went back to the bus. Next stop: Gwangan Beach.

Gwangan Beach is a blonde sand beach approximately 1.5 km long. Here you can find hundreds of restaurants and cafes. Opposite the beach is the Gwangan Bridge, built between 1994 and 2002 and over 7 km long.

Every night the bridge is lit up in different colours depending on the season. So there we stand. Time goes by… night falls… and nothing is illuminated there. It turns out that the lighting had been suspended for the summer due to renovations.

That’s three for three. Not the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo, not the Banpo Bridge in Seoul and not this one. Screw it… we’re not biting anymore. We don’t plan to visit a single bridge anywhere else in the world that puts on a show.

Even so, the beach was very lively. There was a concert by a young man and various other activities. Late in the evening, a lot of boats were piled up next to the bridge and started shooting rockets at the bridge. It was quite spectacular. It looked like some kind of military assault.

We took a nice walk along the beach and started looking for something for dinner. We went to a Korean barbecue place called 문가네정육식당 광안점. It was great and with very good service. The dinner cost us 39,000₩ (27€).

After dinner, back to the hotel to rest. The next day we had to get up early to return to Seoul.

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August 21st

We get up early again and are on our way to the train station. At 8.10 the KTX leaves for Seoul. It’s on time and we arrive at 10.48am.

The first thing we do is go to the hotel, about 15 minutes walk from the station. We choose the ENA Suite Hotel Namdaemun. We got a good deal for 72€ a night. Quite a bit lower than usual.

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The hotel is really good. 4 stars with a spectacular room, gym and indoor pool. We leave our things at the reception and go to the first point: the Jongmyo Shrine.

This is the shrine that was closed when we made our first attempt a few days ago.

Jongmyo Shrine was the main place of worship for the royal family during the Joseon dynasty. It was built at the same time as Gyeongbokgung Palace, under the orders of King Taejo, the first Joseon king.

The shrine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 9 December 1995. The entrance fee is 1,000₩ (€0.70) and is included in the Royal Palace Pass. It is also free on the last Wednesday of every month.

After the visit to the shrine we went straight to the bus station to retrieve the mobile phone we had lost on the bus from Sokcho.

We arrived at the station and asked at the information desk for the place we were looking for. They pointed it out to us and we found it after getting lost and wandering around a thousand times. We knocked on the door and there it was waiting for us.

In Spain the mobile phone was going to appear…

As it was already lunchtime, we decided to look for something at the station. We ate at a Japanese place specialising in onigiri and tonkatsu. It’s called 오니기리와이규동 and it was very good. It cost us 22,500₩ (€15.80).

From here we took the metro in the direction of Insadong street. In a documentary we had seen that there was a poo-themed coffee shop there. With cochineal decoration and drinks on crockery in the shape of toilets.

So there we went. We arrived and… no. The decoration was fine but they used normal glasses. The service was not nice and the drinks were served in normal glasses. And to top it off, it was very expensive. At least the coffee was good.

After the coffee we were extremely hot and humid so we decided to take the metro and go back to the hotel to check in and take a shower.

There something happened to us that had never happened to us in any hotel before. We decided to take a quick dip in the pool. We went downstairs and tried to get in. We needed a code. We went up to reception and asked for it. It turns out that the pool is paid for separately. At 11€ for two hours per person. Unless you have a premium room.

I find it terribly ugly that they don’t specify it on the website when you book, but they do promote it.

Very close to the hotel is the Sungnyemun Gate. It is one of the four main gates of the fortress built to protect the city.

The gate was built between 1396 and 1398 and is the oldest wooden building in Seoul. It was restored between 1961 and 1963.

In 2008 a fire caused severe damage to the entire structure and the destruction of the entire roof of the first floor and part of the roof of the first floor. It took five years to restore it completely.

From here we took a last walk to Gwanghwamun Square. All the paraphernalia of stalls and swimming pool that had been there a few days before had been dismantled and could be seen at leisure.

While there we came across the ruins of the Saheonbu Gate, found during an excavation in 2021.

From here we took a stroll to Myeongdong. This is the largest shopping district and one of the main tourist destinations in the old centre of Seoul.

There, apart from shops, there are millions of street stalls selling all kinds of food. So we took the opportunity to have some dinner. Although we really only had a couple of small bites because it was too touristy.

As we had not eaten much, when we finished our walk through Myeongdong, we stopped at a supermarket to buy something else. Dinner, and off to bed.

August 22nd

Last day in South Korea and we had to make the most of it. We got up early and, without setting a precedent, we decided to have breakfast in the street.

We had a hard time finding a place where we could have breakfast that wasn’t a heavy lunchtime meal. In the end we went to a pastry chain called Paris Baguette, which you’ll find everywhere, except if you’re looking for one.

The truth is that it was really good and they also give you coffee. At this point it was starting to rain. It was going to accompany us during the morning but only at times.

After breakfast we got on the bus and went to Bukchon Hanok Village. This is a neighbourhood with hundreds of traditional houses, called hanok, dating back to the Joseon dynasty.

The name Bukchon, which literally translates as ‘northern village’, came about because the neighbourhood is located north of two important landmarks of Seoul, Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno.

Today, many of these hanok function as cultural centres, guesthouses, restaurants and tea houses.

It is worth remembering that it is also a residential neighbourhood. You can find many signs in various languages asking for silence and even people dressed in yellow checking that everything is quiet.

From here we rushed to Namsangol Hanok Village. It simulates a traditional Korean neighbourhood and opened in 1998 on the north side of Namsan Mountain.

It features five restored hanok, a pavilion, a traditional garden, a performing arts stage and a time capsule plaza. The hanok belonged to aristocrats and government officials of the Joseon dynasty who were moved here from other locations.

To celebrate the 600th anniversary of the creation of Seoul in 1994, 600 cultural relics representing the appearance of Seoul and the lives of its citizens were buried in capsules.

This capsule will be opened on the city’s 1,000th anniversary, 29 November 2394 (if humanity is still alive…).

As it was very hot, we decided to take a break at a Twosome Place chain. They are one of those modern coffee shops that you can find all over Korea. They took a long time to serve us, but it was cool.

Refreshed, we left on our way to our last visit: the Korean War Memorial. We took the underground and when we got off we decided to look for somewhere to eat our last Korean meal.

When we got out of the underground we walked through a series of alleys with a multitude of restaurants but all of them were closed. So we left it for later.

The Korean War Memorial exhibits and preserves materials related to the Korean War and serves as a place of national moral education.

It was established by the Korean War Memorial Service Society on 10 June 1994. It was made to commemorate the noble sacrifice of patriotic martyrs.

The museum houses approximately 33,000 artefacts and about 10,000 artefacts are displayed in indoor and outdoor exhibits.

There are six separate interior rooms. They include the Expeditionary Forces Hall, the Patriotic Memorial Hall, the War History Hall, the Korean War 6-25 Hall, the Development Hall and the Large Machinery Hall.

One of the monuments that surprised us the most was the Statue of Brothers, which we were told about during the DMZ tour. Mostly because of the history.

The Brothers Statue is a symbol of the Korean War. It depicts a dramatic moment when a South Korean officer and his younger brother, a North Korean soldier, meet and embrace on the battlefield. The statue expresses reconciliation, love and forgiveness.

This visit brings our trip to South Korea to a close. All we had to do now was eat. We had lunch at a place inside the train station called Mealbon. As usual, it did not disappoint. It was very good and quite cheap. It cost us 34.000₩ (24€).

We left the station and halfway to the hotel, on our way to get our things, the universal deluge began to fall. It was such a downpour that in a matter of minutes the water level rose and was up to our ankles.

We arrived at the hotel as if we had been swimming in our clothes. There we changed in the bathroom because I was soaked through to my underpants.

While we were changing the rain stopped and we were able to walk to the station. We took the 17.57 AREX train. We arrived at 18.40. We went through all the controls and went to get food so as not to go hungry on the flight.

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We bought some sandwiches at a Dunkin donuts. Sandwiches that, as they had to be hot, there was no way they would give them to us cold. All in all, we were going to eat them in 7-8 hours…

At 21.40 we left on time for Helsinki, where we landed after 14 hours. Yes, 14 hours, after a long detour due to the closure of Russian and Ukrainian airspace. We have a 1 hour and 20 minutes layover, so we have to run.

At the access control there is a terrible queue in which we lost almost an hour. Passport control was quick and we arrived at the boarding gate with half of the passengers already on board.

At 7.05 a.m. we left on time for Malaga. Five hours later we landed but we still had a 2 hour bus ride home to Granada.

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NEXT ENTRY

We have moved our base camp in South Korea to the southern city of Busan.

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August 17th

We got up early, had breakfast and set off for the Beomeosa Temple. It is located on the northern outskirts of the city.

We took metro line 1 to the Beomeosa stop and there we got on bus no. 90. This bus goes directly to the temple.

Beomeosa was built by the great master Uisang in 678 during the reign of King Munmu of Silla. It is one of the ten Hwaeom temples in Korea. It is a Seon temple based on meditation, a place where people can meditate and clear their minds.

It contains 3 national treasures: the One Pillar Gate (No. 1461), the three-storey Stone Pagoda (No. 250) and the Main Buddha Hall (No. 434).

The first thing we come across is the Iljumun Gate or One-Pillar Gate. It was built in 1614 by Master Myo Jeon.

Behind it is the Wangcheon Gate. Once we cross it, the Burimun Gate or Liberation Gate and the Bojeru Pavilion, both built in 2012.

After crossing Bojeru we come to the esplanade where Dae Woong Jeon or the Buddha Pavilion is located. It was built in 1614 and is dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha.

The name Dae Woong originated from the Lotus Sutra (Beop Hwa Gyeong). It is the virtuous name of Buddha meaning great hero who renounced all worldly desires and attained enlightenment.

I took the opportunity and bought a small lucky Buddha for my business in the temple shop.

After visiting the temple we went back to the underground. We are going to visit Seokbulsa Temple. We get off at Mandeok station and then we have to walk about 2 km along a beautiful path. The path is uphill and the last kilometre the slope is brutal. It really takes forever and it took us more than an hour to walk it.

The Seokbulsa Temple is quite modern and its construction dates back to 1930. It is not exactly noted for its buildings, as it is quite small, but for its spectacular figures carved in stone.

Moreover, due to the difficulty of getting there, it is not very visited. We were alone except for a couple who were trail running who arrived and left as they went along.

The twenty-nine Buddhist images carved into a natural rock surrounding the temple were artistically crafted as symbols of devotion to Buddhism, making Seokbulsa a unique Korean temple with the largest number of such images in the country.

After spending a long time contemplating this marvel, we went down to a small park with fitness equipment to rest on some benches. Sitting there, my question was: Does anyone really come up here to use them? It is only about 400 metres from the temple.

After a well-deserved rest, we went down to the city, thinking about finding a place to eat. There was nothing around the station so we took the underground to Haeundae beach.

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As it was already very late, after 4pm, we decided to eat at a Burger King. A burger that stung like hell. Like all the chain’s places, bad and cheap food, but they are open all day. It cost us 20,400₩ (14.40€).

Haeundae is one of the most famous beaches in the country. It is 1.5 km long and between 30 and 50 metres wide.

But Haeundae is most notable for the variety of cultural events that take place throughout the year.

Nearby is the Haeundae Traditional Market. There we saw a lot of local gastronomy and quite a few… strange things to eat. Although we didn’t try anything at the time.

As it was still early, we decided to go to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, although it was a bit far away. To get there we took bus 100 which took about 45 minutes.

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple states that it was first founded in 1376 by Meowonghwasang Hyegeun. But it is actually a very recent temple dating back to the 70s of the 20th century.

It pays homage to Haesu Gwaneum Daebul (해수관음 대불), the Sea Goddess Buddha of Mercy, who is an aspect of Guanyin.

Entering the temple grounds, we pass through the Haedong Yonggungsa Zodiac park, where we find sculptures of all the signs of the Korean horoscope.

A little further on there is a pagoda to pray for traffic safety…

We go down a flight of stairs and arrive at a small esplanade by the sea. From here we have the most spectacular view of the temple.

At the top of the temple is a huge sculpture of the Guanyin Goddess of Mercy. The truth is that the temple is a beautiful visit and a must-see in Busan.

Admission is free and on Sundays visitors are given free noodles.

After the visit, on the way to the bus stop, we decided to visit a shopping centre selling expensive brands. Hoping that they would let us in with our pints and we could have a cool drink. Besides, it was starting to rain.

It is the Lotte Premium Outlets. There was nobody there. We took a little walk and didn’t see any place to have a drink, so we left.

We took the bus and went back to Haeundae to look for something for dinner. We went to a place called BBQ Chiken. Korean fried chicken. It is supposed to be made with olive oil. The truth is that it was delicious and with a portion for one person we both ate to bursting. They’re a bunch of brutes.

Dinner cost us 20.000₩ (14€).

With our bellies full we went to the hotel to rest. Tomorrow it’s time to travel.

August 18th

We are getting up very early today. It’s a long journey. We are going to visit the Haeinsa Temple and the Korean Tripitaka.

To get there we take the 7.23 KTX (bullet train) (17.100₩ – 12€) to Dongdaegu station. We get off at 8.14 and take metro line 1 to Seobu station. There you will find the small (and crappy) Seobu bus station.

The bus fare is 8,100₩ (€5.66) one way and takes about 90 minutes. Payment in cash is compulsory.

After the long journey, we get off at the bus stop and walk to the entrance of the temple. It is just over 1km. On the way we passed the Haeinsa Museum but did not visit it.

Haeinsa Temple was founded in 802. Legend has it that two Korean monks returned from China, Suneung and Ijeong, and healed King Aejang’s wife of her illness. In gratitude for the Buddha’s mercy, the king ordered the construction of the temple.

Another legend narrated by Choe Chi-Won in 900 states that Suneung and his disciple Ijeong won the support of a dowager queen who converted to Buddhism and then helped finance the construction of the temple.

As in all the temples we visit, the first thing we come across is the Iljimun Gate. It symbolises the first gateway on the path of all living beings to the world of Buddhahood.

It has been here since the temple was built but has been restored at least five times.

Once we have crossed it, we walk along the beautiful path that separates us from the Bonghwangmun Gate or Phoenix Gate. Here we find the four guardian kings of the gate, as in all other Korean temples.

The Four Heavenly Kings were originally good gods who stayed in the Four Heavenly Heavens between the six heavens of the desire world and protected many good people who entered the heavens.

Behind it is a new gate, Haetalmun or Gate of Liberation. There are 33 steps from the Iljumun Gate to the Haetalmun Gate, which symbolises the Dorichen, or palace of the 33 heavens.

Just before we start climbing the stairs we find the Guksadan or Hall of the Mountain Spirit. It houses the altar of Gulsa-daesin, the god responsible for protecting the site of Haesim.

We cross it and arrive at an esplanade where we find several remarkable elements.

In front of us we see Gugwanglu. In the old days only senior monks, including the monk Nojeon, were allowed to enter the temple. This pavilion was built as a place for the general public who could not enter the temple to gather for worship and sermons.

Today there is a coffee shop and a souvenir shop on the lower floor.

A route is marked on the ground on the west side of the esplanade. This route should be done while reading a prayer of thanks to the Buddha. Of course we did. The prayer can be read on a piece of paper provided before entering.

Jonggak, the bell pavilion, is also located here.

We went up some stairs and found ourselves on another esplanade, where chairs were being set up as if there was going to be some kind of event.

Here is a three-storey stone pagoda called Birotap. This pagoda houses statues of Buddha.

A few steps up is Daejeok Gwangjeon, the main hall. The present building was reconstructed in 1818 on the site of the building built in 802 by the founders, monk Su-Sun and monk Lee Jeong.

There are seven Buddhas inside the hall. The main Vairocana Buddha was created in 1769.

In the highest part of the temple we find the jewel of the temple: the Tripitaka Koreana.

The Tripitaka Koreana is the oldest and most complete intact version of the Buddhist canon in Chinese script, with no known errors or misprints.

It is carved on 81,350 wooden blocks, with 52,389,400 characters arranged in 1,514 titles and 6,791 volumes. It is housed in four buildings called Janggyeong Panjeon, the repository of the Korean Tripitaka, which are arranged in a rectangular layout.

Incidentally, the Tripitaka itself is not accessible. It has strong security measures but the walls of the pavilions are latticed and you can see the boards from the outside.

This is the end of our visit to this little piece of human history and the beautiful Haeinsa Temple. Which, by the way, is set in spectacular natural surroundings.

On the way down, we went to visit the nearby Wondang-Am Temple. It was built as a resting place for King Aejang of Silla (788 – 809) to rest after his wife’s long illness. From here he controlled the construction of Haeinsa Temple.

The truth is that the temple is beautiful. The tranquillity there was unbelievable. We were the only people in the compound.

While we were walking through the pavilions, a monk appeared and asked us about our nationality. He was very surprised when we told him we were Spanish. It seems that not many tourists come here.

After enjoying this haven of peace we went back to the bus stop. To buy a ticket, a little before the bus arrives, a young man in a car passes by selling tickets. We pay him and about two minutes later he appears.

Another 90 minutes to Daegu. It was getting late and we wanted to eat before returning to Busan. Next to the bus station is the Gwanmun market. We went there and had a portion of Korean fried chicken. I don’t remember the name of the stall but it cost us 12.000₩ (8.40€).

After lunch we took a short walk through the market and then went to the train station, where we took the train back to Busan. Which, by the way, was 20 minutes late.

We had a shower at the hotel and then went for another walk. This time we went to BIFF Square. This area is the film mecca of South Korea since it hosts the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), one of the most important film festivals in Asia.

During the festival, which has been held since 1996, events such as hand printing by famous film celebrities and Nunggot Jeomdeung (snow flower lighting) are held.

Since then, the area has been converted into a leisure area with not only cinemas, but also shops and other entertainment facilities.

Here we also found numerous street food stalls. It was a feast of smells, which whetted the appetite for a light snack. Soon it would be time for dinner.

We headed south to the nearby Jagalchi fish market. This is the largest fish market in South Korea.

Most of the people selling fish are women, so the vendors here are called Jagalchi Ajumma. ‘Ajumma’ means married or middle-aged woman in Korean.

Here you can buy fish that will be cooked for you at stalls throughout the market or you can take it home.

It was getting a bit late and some stalls were already closed. Although it actually closes at 10 pm.

As we were quite tired, we decided to go back to the hotel. We wanted to take advantage of the coin-operated washing machines to do the laundry. While the laundry was being done we had some dinner from the combini.

Early to bed as the next day was going to be a long one.

August 19th

Another early start. We go on another excursion. This time to the city of Gyeongju.

Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 BC – 935 AD), which ruled about two thirds of the Korean peninsula between the 7th and 9th centuries.

For this reason, it is home to numerous archaeological sites and cultural artefacts. It is known as a ‘museum without walls’.

To get there we took the 7.23 KTX. It takes 33 minutes to get to Singyeongju Station and cost us 11,000₩ (€7.70). This station is about 11 km from the city centre.

At the station gate we boarded bus 700 to Bulguksa Temple. It takes about 30 minutes and costs 1,650₩ (€1.15).

Bulguksa was built in 528, one year after the Silla dynasty officially accepted Buddhism during the reign of King Beopheung. It was commissioned by the king to fulfil the wishes of his mother, Lady Yeongje, and his wife, Queen Gi Yun.

The temple was virtually destroyed during the Japanese invasion in the 16th century but was rebuilt between 1612 and 1700.

From 1963 to 1973, Mooseoljeon, Gwaneumjeon, Birojeon and the walkways and corridors were rebuilt and Daeungjeon, Beomyeongru, Jahamun and the stone platforms were restored to their present appearance.

In 1995, Bulguksa was designated a UNESCO world cultural heritage site along with Seokguram.

The first thing we come across, of course, is the Iljimun Gate.

Behind it is a nice walk to the Cheonwangmun gate, where the four heavenly guardians, who protect the temple and the Buddha-dharma, are located.

Once through the gate, we pass the Bulguksa Museum on the right and, a little further on, we come to the spectacular Jahamun Gate. This gate leads to Daeungjeon, where the Buddha is located.

Jahamun means the Gate of the Violet Sunset, referring to the halo of wisdom emanating from the Buddha’s body.

It was destroyed during the Japanese invasion of 1592. The present one dates from 1781, although it underwent a major renovation between 1969 and 1973.

Behind the gate is Daeungjeon, the main hall. Here stands Sakyamuni Buddha, surrounded by four Bodhisattvas and disciples.

The original statues from 681 were destroyed by the Japanese in 1592 as was the building. The present ones are thought to date from 1659 but are not certain. The present building dates from 1765.

Behind it is the Museoljeon or Wordless Hall. Its name comes from the fact that, although it is used for lectures on the sutras, the essence of the Buddha’s teachings is beyond language. Therefore, it cannot be taught.

On the day we visited, there was an event going on and it was not possible to visit. You could hardly see it from afar.

In the adjoining courtyard, down a few steps is Geungnakjeon or Hall of Supreme Bliss. The Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Cosmic Light residing in the Pure Land, is enshrined in this hall.

The building was built in 750, but burned down in 1593, rebuilt in 1750. Moving from Daeungjeon to Geungnakjeon, you climb 16 steps that have been built in three sets. These 48 steps represent the 48 vows of Amitabha Buddha, who always prays to help all beings.

In front of the temple is the figure of a small pig that was well rubbed. I don’t know what it means. I, just in case, rubbed it.

Going out the back and up some steps, there is Nahanjeon, the Hall of Arhat. It is the place where the Buddha’s disciples are. As there are 16 disciples, it is called 16 Nahanjeon or 16 Eungjinjeon.

In the adjoining courtyard we find Birojeon, the Vairocana Buddha Hall. The Vairocana Buddha, enshrined in this hall, is the embodiment of Truth, Wisdom and Cosmic Power.

Finally, up some very steep and high steps, we come to Gwaneumjeon, the shrine of Avalokitesvara.

This hall enshrines Gwanseeum Bosal, the Bodhisattva of Perfect Compassion. Also known as the Hearer of Cries, the Bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara is dedicated to the welfare of all living beings and is always ready to help those who cry out in their suffering.

After a thorough tour of the site, we return to the bus stop. There we board bus no. 12 to go to Seokguram Grotto. The ride takes just 10 minutes and costs 1,200₩ (€0.84).

Its original name was Seokbulsa Temple (Temple of the Stone Buddha). It was built between 772 and 774 by order of Prime Minister Kim Daeseong, who died before its completion. The reason for its construction was to appease Kim’s parents from his previous life.

Inside the grotto is a 3.5-metre high stone statue of Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha) and is said to be the most beautiful statue in Korea.

The statue, with a serene smile, looks out over the East Sea. It is backed by a statue of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). It is also surrounded on all sides by the Nahan (Buddha’s historical disciples), buddhas and bodhisattvas.

We get off the bus in front of the Unification Bell.

Next to it is the Iljimun Gate. From here begins a beautiful path through the forest to the temple. The fog was very thick and gave a certain mysticism to the path. The truth is that it was really amazing.

After a five minute walk we arrive at the temple. There are several buildings in which there is a souvenir shop and an ice-cream stall. We go straight to the grotto. There is a small queue, as you go in one at a time.

The interior is impressive but photography is strictly forbidden. Not even in a hurry as you had the security guard on top of you and there are a thousand cameras in there. So only the image in my head remains.

As it was still early in the morning, we headed back to the city. Next stop: Anapji.

This is a large pond that was located within the defunct Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond complex.

Donggung Palace (Crown Prince’s Palace) was one of the main palaces of the United Kingdom of Silla.

Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) states: ‘In the 14th year of King Munmu’s reign (674) a large pond was dug, flowers were planted, and rare birds and strange animals were bred’.

Wolji was abandoned during the Joseon period. It became known as Anapji because wild geese and ducks used to gather there (‘Anapi’ means ‘pond of wild ducks and geese’). It was discovered during excavation and dredging work in 1975.

The entrance fee is 3,000₩ (€2.10).

The buildings that remain today are recent reconstructions, from the 80s of the 20th century. The truth is that it is a visit that we loved. It was one of the places we liked the most in Korea.

By the end of the visit it was starting to rain. Fortunately it was only a mirage.

We left Anapji and went for a walk along the Welseong moat. This artificial moat protected the north side of the palace, while the Namcheon Stream served as a natural moat along the south side of the palace.

Its name means ‘Moon Fortress’ and it was built in the year 101 by King Pasa. It was discovered in 1984 through archaeological excavations.

We took a nice walk with some locals (and instagramers) to the Cheomsongdae observatory. This stone structure is believed to have been built during the rule of Queen Seondeok (632-647).

Its name Cheomseongdae means ‘stargazing platform’ and it is widely acknowledged to be the oldest astronomical observatory in Asia.

Just behind is Munhosa, a small temple that was once the Confucian academy of Guanlan Lee Seung-jeung.

As it was getting quite late, we started looking for somewhere to eat. In the area there were only ice-cream parlours and sweet shops. So we decided to buy something in a combini and eat it there in the coolness of the air conditioning. That way we don’t waste any time.

After a light meal and refreshed, we continued our tour of Gyeongju. We took a nice walk through the park to the impressive Woljeong Bridge. It was built during the Unified Silla period (676-935 AD), but was burned down during the Joseon dynasty.

The bridge was rebuilt in April 2018 to become the largest wooden bridge in Korea. If you climb the steep stairs inside, you will find a small exhibition about the original city.

We cross the bridge and make our way to another bridge consisting of stone boulders across the river. Obviously we cross carefully. From this bridge we have a breathtaking view of the Woljeong Bridge.

We crossed the river and entered the traditional village of Gyeongju Gyochon. It is beautiful but totally adapted to tourism. It is still worth a walk.

In need of a little rest we decided to look for somewhere to have a fresh drink. We stumbled upon a very instagramer place called Bagel Bageler. As the name suggests, it specialises in bagels. They were amazing, although it wasn’t cheap. The snack cost us 23.500₩ (16.40€).

With our bellies full, we set off for our last point of interest: the Daereungwon Tomb Complex. This is a historical park that houses 23 large and small ancient tombs. Each mound found in the park is a tomb.

Within the Daereungwon Tomb complex is the Cheonmachong Tomb, which was excavated in 1973. In addition, the Hwangnamdaechong Tomb was excavated between 1973 and 1975, and is a set of twin tombs belonging to a presumed married couple.

If you prefer comfort, you can book a fabulous guided tour with Civitatis:

The truth is that it is a nice and quiet walk. Once we had finished we went back to the train station. When we arrived it turned out that the KTX was very late and we were advised to take an STR. We listened to them. At 17:36 we got on and in 30 minutes we were in Busan. The ticket cost us 10.100₩ (7€).

Once in Busan, we had a shower at the hotel and went for a walk again. We went to Lotte Department Store Centum City. It is a shopping centre belonging to the Lotte chain, but we were not going shopping. The aim was to see a gigantic replica of the Trevi Fountain which was located next to the metro exit.

We were fooled again. It is an unspectacular fountain that looks like corkopane. It is a bit curious but nothing to do with the Fontana.

For dinner we went back to Haeundae beach. There, after a lot of searching, we ended up going into a place called Woodduk. It specialises in ribs but we had a hot pot.

It wasn’t bad and it wasn’t expensive, but it’s a touristy place, so it wasn’t anything special either.

We finished dinner quite late and had to run to catch one of the last meters to the hotel.

Straight to bed to make the most of the next day.

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