Salauyova Darya 지방답사 후기

Seoul – Gyeongju – Seongnam*

Day 1. Seoul – Gyeongju.

The day we were supposed to head out to Gyeongju greeted us in a nice way – with pouring rain, lightings and thunder. Taifun finally made it here. (Though, where I come from, it is considered to be a “good sign” if it rains on the day you start a trip.) Before going to Gyeongju we went to Yongin Korean Folk Village (용인 한국민속촌). To tell the truth I wasn’t expecting much. I thought that we would just look at some traditional Korean houses, which didn’t sound appealing to me. But the village turned out to be pretty interesting to wander around. It is set in a natural environment and re-creates the atmosphere and lifestyle of the time. The displayed houses are also different: there were houses of yangban, peasants, a temple, a watermill, a jail, a fortune-teller’s house (you too can have your future predicted in case you have extra 20.000 won)… One of the advantages of the village is that you can not only watch from outside the buildings, but you’re also allowed to enter most of them. You also can have some other interesting experiences, for example, to try yourself in a role of a prisoner. Apart from architectural sites, we also watched a great samulnori performance and a traditional Korean marriage ceremony. For some people the Yongin Korean Folk Village might be interesting as a film location for several Korean dramas.

By midday rain stopped. Only mist and Korean summer’s unbearable humidity were left. I planned to sleep all the way to Gyeongju and I wasn’t the only one who had this splendid idea. But it’s hard to sleep on a bus. So after being waken up for a couple of times I gave up trying. And that is when I met ones of the most beautiful creatures on earth – mountains. Covered with forests, coming out of nowhere and disappearing somewhere in the air. The ones that were most far away seemed to be vanishing in the colour of the sky. Unfortunately, there are no mountains in Belarus, that is why i get really excited when i have a chance to see them.

In the evening we went to Anapji area, the most famous part of which is Anapji Pond. It is considered that the pond was was built during the 14th year of King Munmu of the Silla Kingdom, and in the 1970’s it was restored. Probably the main reason why people come there is to see the “안압지 야경” (night view of the area), because in the night the pond and the buildings are illuminated.

Day 2. Cheonmachong (천마총) tomb, Daereungwon (대릉원), Chumsungdae (첨성대); Gyeongju National Museum; Underwater Tomb of King Munmu, Pillar-shaped joint.

We started the second day by visiting several ancient tombs and Chumsungdae. We’ve been inside only one tomb – Cheonmachong (천마총) tomb, or Heavenly Horse Tomb. To tell the truth it didn’t meet my expectations. All relics displayed there are fake ones, the original ones are kept at the Gyeongju National Museum. Moreover, we had already seen them at the National Museum of Korea. I wish we could have seen Park Hyeokgeose, King Namhae, King Yuri, and Queen Aryeong’s tombs, because I’m interested in themso much. Then we went to Chumsungdae («star-gazing tower») - the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia. It dates to the 7th century to the time of kingdom of Silla. The guide showed us the Gyerim (계립) forest where presumably Gim Al-ji (김알지) was found. After that we headed to Gyeongju National Museum, where we saw famous Emille Bell.

But the best part of the day was ahead when we went to the seashore. I should also mention that the weather that day was completely terribly hot. Maybe that is why going to the sea brought so much joy to us. We saw Pillar-shaped joint and the Underwater Tomb of King Munmu, whose ashes where scatter over the rocks (or according to another version stored in an urn and placed under the granite). He believed that he would become a dragon and protect Silla. We also swam in the sea that day (though nobody had known in advance that we would have a chance to). The water was cold but still it felt so good. That’s why it was a happy day for me. : ) And there is one charming thing about the seashore we went – magical combination of sea, pines and mountains.

Day 3. Bulguksa (불국사) and Seokguram (석굴암).

I was looking forward to seeing Bulguksa, in fact, it was the place where I most wanted to go in whole Korea. The temple is classified as Historic and Scenic Site No. 1by the South Korean government, so it’s definitely a must-see site in Korea. The temple is situated in the mountains and includes many buildings. The current Bulguksa was constructed under King Gyeongdeok in 751, but since that time only stone parts of it are left. The temple has been reconstructed many times (last major restoration was conducted between 1969 and 1973). The area of the temple is quite peaceful considering crowds of tourists. And it must be absolutely breathtaking in autumn, when maple trees turn red. So if I have a chance, I will definitely come here again in autumn.

Then we went to the Seokguram (석굴암) Grotto, which lies four kilometers to the east from Bulguksa. Inside the round-shaped main hall, there are the Buddha Statue, Bodhi-sattva and his disciples. The identity of the Buddha, located in the grotto, is still debated. While studying I’ve seen the pictures of the place a lot, but it was nice to see it in real life. It’s wonderful that the stature wasn’t moved to a museum or another place, but was left where it belongs. After that we went back to Seongnam. Our little trip to Gyeongju was nice and interesting. We’ve also tried Korean food at Korean traditional restaurants, where usually only locals eat. And teachers treated us with delicious 경주 빵 (Gyeongju bread). : )

There are probably 3 things that will pop up in my head when I hear “Gyeongju”. These are blue mountains, hills covered with exceptionally green grass and fields of lotus flowers. Maybe because that were the first things that I saw in Gyengju, or maybe because I couldn’t really see them in Seongnam or Seoul. So for me Gyeongju is not only a cultural site, but also a natural one. When I was looking at the mountains I was thinking that many-many years ago people had been looking at the very same mountains, kings and queens had been replacing each other for centuries among these very same mountains… It was truly exciting to visit the place where the legends were born.

• I decided to submit this assignment in English due to the lack of Korean language skill, so that I can express my thoughts and share experience in a more thorough way.