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Christina Pfeiffer

1 Temple thrill

Bulguksa Temple's ancient stones hide the secrets of thousands of years of Silla culture. The Silla dynasty  (57BC to AD935)  vanquished the kingdoms of Goguryeo  and Baekje  to unify the Korean peninsula, ushering in a cultural golden age. Set on the slopes of Mount Tohamsan,  this  temple was built in AD528  during the reign of King Beop-heung  (AD514-540).  Although most of  the wooden buildings have been rebuilt,  it's a thrill  to stumble across the ancient stone bridges, stairways and pagodas that have survived the ravages of time. The wooden buildings were burned down during the Imjinwaeran  war  and were renovated count- less times throughout the  Goryeo  (918-1392) and Joseon  (1392-1910) periods. Today, the temple is the sacred home of many of Gyeongju's  cultural  relics, including the Seokgatap  and Dabotap  stone pagodas (www.bulguksa.or.kr).

2 Serene setting

Climb Mount Tohamsan  at dawn to meditate at the tranquil Seokguram Grotto. Dating  to  the same period as the Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram is an artificial granite creation  said to be the world's oldest Buddhist grotto. Inside,  you're  drawn to a striking  statue of Buddha sitting  on a lotus throne. It's surrounded by  carved granite statues and bas reliefs of  eight ancient Indian gods, four heavenly guardians, bodhisattvas and Buddha's disciples. In the past, this  temple provided shelter for meditating monks.

3 Royal resting places

Discover blue-blood secrets  at the ancient resting places of Daereungwon Tomb Park, where Silla royalty were buried with their jewellery, household goods and other treasures in a similar style  to that of Egypt's pharaohs. From the outside, these 23 tombs resemble round grassy mounds. The Cheonmachong  tomb is open to the public and  contains the only Silla painting in the country, of a flying horse. Painted on a saddle flap of white birch bark,  the shamans believed this painting had magical qualities that would ease the journey  to  the afterlife. When Cheonma-chong was excavated, 11,500 artefacts, including a  gold crown, were retrieved.  Some of these  are displayed at the tomb,  and others can be found at the Gyeongju National Museum.

4 Rare relics

The museum  is a repository  of Silla kingdom relics and a showcase of imperial life from  a long-gone era. The main  hall displays  artefacts and earthenware, including many items from prehistoric times. The Art Hall has treasures such as golden crowns, silver and gold ornaments, belts and jewellery excavated from the many Silla tombs in the area. The Anapji Hall  contains relics such as a pair of bronze dragon heads found at  the Anapji  palace pond. Gukeun  Memorial Hall exhibits pottery and wooden and bronze artefacts belonging to  private collector Lee Yang-seon.

5 Star gazers

Asia's oldest astronomical observatory was constructed during the reign of Queen Seon-deok  (632-647).  Astronomers of the period used this bottle-shaped stone structure to observe the stars and to forecast weather patterns.  It was built with 362 stones to represent the number  of days that were then thought  to constitute the lunar year.

6 Time out

With five super-deluxe hotels, a convention centre, a casino,  golf courses, shopping areas  and dining facilities, the Bomun Lake Resort  is the best place to find a comfortable bed.  Although many of the hotels provide contemporary western-style amenities, some of the other facilities are housed in charming old Korean buildings. From April to January you'll find free performances of traditional Korean music at the Bomun Outdoor Performance Hall. Located in the resort is Gyeongju World,  an amusement park with 3-D movies, swimming pools, slides, hot springs, sporting facilities and rides. The area bustles on the first Saturday in April, when runners from around the world arrive for the Gyeongju  Cherry Blossom Marathon (www.ktd.co.kr).

7 Underwater tomb

The best time to visit the underwater resting place of  one of the great Silla kings  is on December 31, during  the Gyeongju King Munmu Sunrise Festival.   Locals  perform traditional kite-flying demonstrations and display a colourful range of local crafts, food and drink. The sound of giant drums and a brilliant display of fireworks provide a boisterous welcome for the new year. Legend has it that King Munmu promised his people that when he died,  he would turn into a dragon to protect the Silla kingdom from Japanese invaders. Historians  debate whether the remains of  the king were scattered on the ocean or buried at the bottom  of a small pool on one of the  rocky islands near the shore (www.tour2korea.com).

8 Moonlight tours

Tour Gyeongju's temples  and pagodas under the cloak of darkness.  Traditional dances, gentle music and moonlight tea ceremonies complete the mystical experience. Soak up  more of the Silla magic by strolling through the  fairyland of the Anapji pond gardens. Brightly illuminated pagodas cast  reflections on  a calm lake, and carefully positioned spotlights slice across the landscape. Built by King Munmu, the gardens were once part of his palace grounds. Thirty thousand treasures, including  roof tiles, earthenware, metallic handicrafts and images of the Buddha, were excavated from  the pond and are  on display at  the Gyeongju National Museum.

9 Travel in time

A visit to the inhabited Joseon-dynasty Yangdong folk village reveals tiled roofs, low stone  walls, elderly couples tending their vegetable gardens and traditional houses up to 500 years old. Founded by the Wolseong Son clan and Yeogang Yi clan, the  village maintains the ambience of its cultural past and is a pleasure to explore (www.gyeongju.co.kr).

10 Traditional games

Toss an arrow into a narrow jug in an exciting game of tuho. Be propelled into the air in  a neoldduigi see-sawing competition. Wrestle your opponent in a ssireum match. Join an archery class or try your skill at yutnori, a traditional Korean board game played with wooden sticks. These are just some of the traditional pastimes you can find in the area, and  you can participate at the Banwolseong Fortress from 10am to 5pm every day.



Gyeongju