The last of the 경주 Gyeongju excursion photographs

We’ve finally reached the final installment in the photo series from ISA’s Gyeongju excursion. This is a mixed bag including The Divine Bell of King Seongdeok, Cheomseongdae Observatory, and the royal tomb of King Naemul (Silla).

Previous Gyeongju posts:
Part 1 - Seokguram Grotto 석굴암
Part 2 - Bulguksa Temple 블국사
Part 3 - Anapji Pond 안압지 
Oh, and there’s also photos of pretty flowers from the area around the observatory and tomb. For those, I’ll be posting personal stories from the trip.

The Divine Bell of King Seongdeok 성덕대왕신종 - Gyeongju National Museum 
The bell was completed in 771. It is in the shape of a lotus flower and is inscribed with over 1,000 Chinese characters.
(click here for more)

Cheomseongdae Observatory 경주 첨성대
It is the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia. It was made of 362 stones to represent the 362 days in the lunar calendar. You can pay to go on the other side of the fence and get closer (I didn’t).
(click here for more)

Royal Tomb of King Naemul 신라 내물왕릉
King Naemul was in power 356 to 402 during the Silla Dynasty. He was the second king to have the family name Kim. His throne was exclusively ceded to the Kim family clan.
(click here for more)

Story time: 
When we were wandering around taking pictures of flowers we were approached by a group of students. Their assignment was to take a picture hugging someone. My one friend and I did take photos. Before that, they lined up the guys in the group for us to choose. We actually would have preferred to take a photo with the girls though, less awkward that way. I couldn’t stop laughing, so one of the boys stepped forward and hugged me (awkwardly) for the photo. He was pretty cute, to be honest.

For lunch, we went to a really delicious (and supposedly famous) restaurant for galbi. I had pork and it was so good. The sides were amazing too. The restaurant actually had some pens with animals. I remember there were goats and peacocks amongst the animals. It was a good distraction from our hunger while we waited to be seated.

You have to try 경주 빵 Gyeongju bread if you go! I think the name is a bit off, but it’s amazing. It’s a very thin layer of dough stuffed with a filling of red bean. They are tiny, but I can’t imagine being able to eat more than one. Although, if you hate red bean, you’ll probably hate it…

I was the only one awake for the entire drive there and back. There were times I would turn around and everyone was asleep, except the driver and me. I listened to music and stared out the window. It was pretty cool to watch the countryside and Daegu 대구 go by.

 And that's all! 
Our next excursion was to Busan, but I might start the Jeju posts first. Still deciding.

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