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The trip to Gyeongju was better than ever. The hotels and condos were all conveniently clustered together in a 54,000 pyeong (approximately 178,200 square meters) complex thanks to the grand opening of ‘Shilla Millennium Park’. This theme park successfully reconstructs the culture and history of the 8th century Silla. Also, a dynamic performance on horseback is available at the Gongbang Village, along with the Millennium Palace Resort & Spa, a resort that looks like a traditional Korean-style house from the Silla period. We will now introduce a recommended vacation trip that will take you to Shilla Millennium Park.
Find out more about Gyeongju!
- Visiting Gyeongju: Luxury vs. Budget Trip
- Low to Medium Priced Accommodations in Gyeongju
- Best Gyeongju 3Night & 4Days Course
- Gyeongju, Museum without Walls
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| Wait! So what’s Gyeongju’s relation to Silla? |
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| Gyeongju was Silla’s (BC 57-AD 935) capital for a thousand years. Although Silla was not a strong nation when it was first founded, it gradually grew into a great, powerful nation by conquering nearby countries. Silla was able to usurp Nakdonggang River and the Hangang River areas in the 5th-6th centuries, and eventually overthrew Baekje and Goguryeo in the 7th century, ultimately uniting the three nations. This was also the time for Silla’s cultural restoration. UNESCO’s acknowledgement of Seokguram Cave and Bulguksa Temple as a World Cultural Heritage was around this time as well. Gyeongju, being known as ‘an open-air museum’ is due to the fact that the cultural heritage, which was created during the Silla period was abundantly rich. |
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| Visit Shilla Millennium Park! |
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| Shilla Millennium Park is sectioned into five large areas: History Fantasia, Frontier Bay, Craftia, Emile Polis, and Hwarang Spirit. Even if you plan on going on a tour of the park from the entrance to Hwarang Spirit in order, it would be wise to check the performance times and plan everything in advance. Although other sights to see aren’t restricted to a set time schedule, performances have scheduled times for viewing. Therefore, check the performance times at the entrance gate, and then plan your day at the park accordingly. It takes about 2 hours to make your way around the whole theme park, but make sure to leave some extra time to watch performances, and participate in the workshops.
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| Enter the four major cities of the 8th century! History Fantasia |
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The 4 major prospering cities of the 8th century Silla is reproduced around the main performance grounds. The first building that comes into sight is the ‘Emile Tower Bell (Seongdeok Daewang Sinjong)’. Standing at an approximate 17 meters (4 times larger than the original building), the tower plays the role of Shilla Millennium Park’s landmark. Simple snacks and drinks are available at the tower.
If you follow the main performance area, you will come across Hwacheongji, located in the capital city of China. This is a famous site for when a king built a royal villa for his favorite mistress, Yang Gwi-Bi. The actual Hwacheongji has been reduced by 75% and is currently being used as a souvenir shop and a restaurant. Surrounding Hwacheongji, stands replicas of Constantinople and Baghdad, representative of four major cities of its times. This is one of the most popular spots since you are able to take in four cities in one viewing.
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Tip: Don’t forget! The best combatant war scene reenactment ‘Cheongwe’s Secret’
‘Cheongwe’s Secret’, situated in the middle of the theme zone where the four major city replicas stand, is the main stage, comprised of both water, and ground surfaces. The water surface is the ocean where the four major cities shared in the past, and the ground surface stage symbolizes the Silk Road. The stage is used 2~3 times a day to capture the eyes of its audience.
During the week, ‘Cheongwe’s Secret (weekdays & weekends 1~2 performances)’ plays during the day, and at night, ‘The Queen’s Tears (weekends 1~2 performances)’, a romance story between Silla’s princess and Baekje’s general, is performed for 30 minutes each. ‘Cheongwe’s Secret’, in particular, offers a war scene of Silla and the Tang that takes place on land and water, which is rated as one of the best reenactments. Special water effects in the fountain make it seem more real like a warfront. The performance times change from time to time, so check the performance schedules at the front gate.
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| Beyond the Songnimgil Road, 1000 Years into the Past! ‘Frontier Bay’ |
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| After you pass ‘History Fantasia’, you will come across a 120-meter Songnimgil Road. This is like a time tunnel to go back 1,200 years to Silla Dynasty. Once you make your way through the pine forest grove, you will see the Jang Bo-Go Stage, and Jogyoktang (sauna for footbath). Now this is like exploring the real Silla period. Performances at the Gihwaek Stage vary from season to season, and ‘Cheonghaejin’s Merchant’ plays at the Jang Bo-Go Stage. Jang Bo-Go is a general of the Silla Dynasty, who was able to rule the seas. Cheonghaejin was the naval base and trade commerce that General Jang Bo-Go built on Jeolla-do’s Wando Island. If you dip your feet in Jogyoktang’s hot springs, you can have a relaxing and enjoyable time. If you are weary from your tour, take a rest at Jogyoktang.
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| Make earthenware and glass arts! ‘Craftia’ |
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The best way to enjoy the Silla period is to experience the traditional culture first-hand. The hands-on experience area at Silla Millennium Park is designed like a small village. Each house has its specialty: a metal workshop, a dye workshop, a glass workshop, a lacquer ware workshop, a Hanok residence area, and a carpenter’s workshop has a notice, ‘Earthenware Workshops’, hanging from each house.
Visitors may choose any house (workshop) of interest to experience. You are able to make cell phone key chains at the glass workshop, and able to dye cloths like the olden days in the dye workshop. The time it takes to in the workshops varies, and the fees to experience the workshops are about ￦5,000.
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Tip: Don’t Forget! Clay Park’s Pot Fountain
There is more to see hidden in the Literary Arts Experience Village. Next to the clay workshop, ‘Clay Park’ has numerous amounts of clayware on display. It’s humorous to see the facial expressions and body languages of the clay statues looking at other clayware. Watching the water shoot out from one clay pot to the other clay pot all choreographed with music at the ‘Clay Pot Fountain’ is a sight to see. |
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| How did the people of Silla live? ‘Emile Polis’ |
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| ‘Emile Polis’ is an untouched replica of the village the citizens of Silla used to live in. The village’s size and house interiors were designed as accurately as possible to the descriptions of the history books ‘Samguksagi (history documented by Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje)’. The designs of the houses differed depending on the owner’s social status dependent on a status system by the ‘Golpum policy (Silla’s unique ranking system)’. If both of your parents were of the royal family, they would be called ‘Seong-gol’ but if only one of your parents were of the royal family, they would be called ‘Jin-gol’, and so on was the ranking system from 6th level to 1st level. A Seong-gol’s house is relatively large and beautifully decorated, while a 4th level house is comparably plain and simple.
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| The Concert of Flowers ‘Hwarang Spirit’ |
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Hwarang (Silla chivalry)
Hwarang, of the Silla period, represents the whole moral cultivation of young teenagers. Only children with a family lineage, a good education, and proper posture were asked to join this group. The dynamic stage that tells of a story of the children’s spiritual disaster takes place at ‘Hwarang Sprit’. The performance ‘Hwaranguido (Hwarang’s way)’ takes place on this stage daily, along with a cast of horseback military stuntmen.
As soon as the performance begins, an exhibition of the Hwarang’s military martial arts skills is featured. Then the cavalry enter the performance riding with skillful dexterity as they stand on the horses backwards, hit their targets with bows and arrows, and perform heart-pounding sword fights. Although the skilled riders may make mistakes once in a while and fall off their horses, their experience allows them to get back up to continue on with the show. The military art performance on horseback is a show that is representative of Shilla Millennium Park, and is a 30-minute performance that should not be missed.
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| A Hanok Resort with an Outdoor Spa ‘Lagung’
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Inside of Shilla Millennium Park, there lies a Hanok (traditional Korean house) Resort. This is a 16-house resort building connected by a corridor, built by 100 professionals who came together to accurately research historical evidence and hold consultations in order to bring the Hanok houses of the past to the present. 80 specialized carpenters from each district in Korea gathered to create such a resort, making it the most largest number of specialized carpenters mobilized to work on a project since the Gyeongbokgung Palace restoration.
Lagung chose to be designed as a Korean-style lodging house, more suitable for tourists rather than being built like the average hotel. The variety of facilities located throughout the park and the Bomun Lake Resort is convenient to use. Even an outdoor spa is available with housing. Rates start at ￦120,000 up to ￦200,000 (per person) with three meals, snacks, and theme park tickets included.
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[Detailed Information]
Operating Hours: Daytime Entrance Admittance: 09:30~18:00
Nighttime Entrance Admittance: 18:00~22:00
Admission19 years and over – ￦20,000 (￦15,000) / 14~18 year-olds ￦15,000 (￦12,000) / 13 years and under ￦12,000 (￦10,000) / 36 month-olds and under are free of charge
** prices in parentheses are for nighttime admittance.
For further inquiries call +82-54-778-2000 (Korean) or visit shillamillenniumpark.com (Korean)
Directions: From the opposite side of Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, take bus No. 10 or No.18 → Get off at Bomun Lake Resort. (a 10 minute interval and a 20 minute ride) Or get off at Hilton Hotel, follow the road in the direction of Gyeongju TEMF (경주교육문화회관) for 5 mins. Shilla Millennium Park is located behind the Gyeongju TEMF.
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Enjoy 4 Delights in the Bomun Lake Resort with Shilla Millennium Park!
The Shilla Millennium Park is located within Gyeongju’s tourism area, Bomun Lake Resort. Centered around this tourist area are high-class hotels, a theme park, an exposition hall, and hot springs, just to name a few. Within those sights, there are four delights that will double your enjoyment at Bomunho Lake.
→ For more information on Bumun Lake Resort, click! |
| 1. Sightseeing Bomunho Lake on a bike. |
Touring Bomunho Lake on a bike is like heaven. This is because the bike road winds around a manmade lake reaching a size of up to 500,000 pyeong (approx. 1,650,000 sq. meters). A peaceful bike-ride around Bomun Lake can be simply satisfying. Bikes can be rented at several places located around Bomunho Lake. To rent a bike, fees cost ￦3,000 per hour so you can expect to spend around ￦6,000 to ￦9,000. However, one hour will be enough time to take a ride from Gyeongju World to Hyundai Hotel (the halfway point for Bomunho).
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| 2. Lunch Buffet at the Gyeonju Hilton Hotel |
If you are trying to find a place to eat while on a stroll around Bomunho Lake, we recommend the Hilton Hotel buffet. Inside the first floor of the hotel sits the buffet restaurant, ‘Lakeside’. The wall facing Bomunho Lake is made of glass, which makes a spectacular view. The four seasons of the Bomuho scenery beside you as you begin your meal is most relishing, and may well be the most alluring feature. Also, if Korean food doesn’t fit your tastes, a buffet is also available.
[Detailed Information]
Prices: Breakfast Buffet ￦18,000 (06:30~10:30); Lunch Buffet ￦22,000~￦25,000 (12:00~14:30); Dinner Buffet ￦30,000 (18:00~21:30)
** A 10% local tax and 10% additional taxes will be added.
For Further Inquiries Call +82-54-740-1777 (Korean, English) or visit kyongjuhilton.co.kr (Korean)
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| 3. A Week with a Teddy Bear |
Located across the street from Gyeongju Hilton Hotel, is the Seonjae Art Center, where a teddy bear convention is taking place until July 1, under the theme of ‘Teddy Bear’s Trip Around the World’. A huge variety of 1000 teddy bears make up the exhibition with the whole display exhibit decorated as an airport, just as the theme describes. Guests can visit around 30 different countries and receive a stamp on their “Teddy Passport” for every country visited. The most popular displays are the 8-meter tall extra large-sized Gulliver Teddy Bear, along with a teddy bear parody display of the TV drama ‘
Gung (Princess Hours)'.
[Detailed Information]
Operating Dates: March 15~July 1
Times: 10:00~18:00
Admission: 20 years and over ￦9,000 / 8~19 years ￦7,000 / 3~7 years ￦5,000
For Further Inquiries: Call +82-54-745-7075 (Korean)
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| 4. Mauna Ocean Resort’s Spa & Massage |
A great way to relax away your exhaustion from this trip is to visit the Mauna Ocean Resort, located 30 minutes away from the Bomun Lake Resort by taxi. This villa-type resort features convenience facilities along with a 27-hole golf course, a walk course, and spa. The resort also offers a captivating view, as it is situated 500 meters above sea level. After dark, one can follow the resorts winding road, shaped like an “S”, down to enjoy the night-lights of the city.
For the women, whose muscles are a little tight, there is a spa and massage center available. The massage center features a hydraulic pressure massager fit for 3 to 5 people great for lovers or the whole family. The massage available at the skin care center offers an effective massage that follows the pressure points to loosen up the muscles. It’s a mistake if the only type of massage that comes to mind is a Thai massage. Since this is a massage that loosens up the muscles by pinpointing pressure points, this is a very stimulating, but powerful massage.
[Detailed Information]
Spa
Operating Hours: 07:00~22:00
Rates: ￦30,000 (For 2 people for 1 hour)
For Further Inquiries: Call +82-54-740-0581 (Korean) or visit mauna.co.kr (Korean)
Directions: 30 minutes by taxi from the Bomun Lake Resort.
Skin Care Center
Operating Hours: 08:30~18:30 / Closed on Mondays
Rates ￦30,000~￦250,000
For Further Inquiries Call +82-54-773-0083 (Korean) or visit mauna.co.kr (Korean)
Directions: 30 minutes by taxi from the Bomun Tourist Village.
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