Gyeongju National Park

Gyeongju National Park is a protected area in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, centred on the historic city of Gyeongju and designated to protect Silla-period cultural landscapes and temples. The park was established by the national government to conserve archaeological sites and surrounding hills.

The park contains numerous archaeological and religious sites from the Silla kingdom, including major preserved temples, grottoes and royal burial mounds. Key attractions within and adjacent to the park include Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto, both representative 8th-century Silla monuments and part of a UNESCO World Heritage inscription.

Many of the principal features are spread across several separate zones rather than concentrated in a single block. Visitors commonly combine temple visits with walks among low wooded hills and visits to the restored Anapji Pond and the tumulus fields near the city centre.

Gyeongju National Park sits around the city of Gyeongju on Korea’s southeast coast in North Gyeongsang Province, with its sites clustered in and around the municipal area rather than in one continuous wilderness.

• Park layout: The park is non-contiguous and arranged around the city of Gyeongju, so many sites are reached as short drives or walks from the city centre.
• Best time to visit: Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for visiting outdoor sites and tumuli when temperatures are moderate and foliage is at its best.

What to See #

• Bulguksa Temple: An 8th-century Buddhist temple complex noted for its wooden architecture, stone pagodas and stairways; listed as part of the UNESCO Historic Areas of Gyeongju and frequently used as an exemplar of Silla-period temple design.
• Seokguram Grotto: A granite grotto housing a seated Buddha carved in the 8th century, situated on Tohamsan mountain and included with Bulguksa on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
• Tumuli (royal burial mounds): A low-lying area near the city centre containing many ancient burial mounds and royal tombs from the Silla period; the site is scattered across several parks and accessible on foot from central Gyeongju.
• Anapji Pond: A restored artificial pond and garden in the old palace precincts, originally created in the Silla era and reconstructed in the 20th century; lies close to other historic sites in the city centre.