Excursion
Wednesday May 18, 2011, 08:00 ~ 17:00, Gyeongju

!! To those who participate in the Excursion: please roll into a traveler's insurance when you depart your country. Our insurance will cover accidents during bus ride, but will not cover anything that might happen out of the bus, for example, anything that might happen when you walk up to a hill of Seokguram Grotte. Since we cannot take charge of these personal accident, please roll into a traveler's insurance at your own expense. Usually for Koreans who roll in these kind of traveler's insurance at the outgoing airport, it is not so expensive at all for a week.

See you very soon in Busan, BEXCO !!

General Secretary of SPP5

Gyeongju

As the capital of the Silla Kingdom for almost a thousand years, Gyeongju preserves vast amount of significant and fascinating historical heritages. Along with Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto, the Gyeongju Historical District has been designated as a World Heritage by UNESCO. Due to the bountiful historical, natural and cultural attractions, this region has long been a major tourist destination in Korea.

Bulguksa temple which is designated as the world cultural heritage by UNESCO, a testimony to both the skill of Silla architects and the depth of Buddhist faith at the time. While most of the wooden buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries, all the stone bridges, stairways and pagodas are original. The temple, originally built in A.D 535, was enlarged in A.D.752.

Seokguram Cave, Kim Dae-Seong, the Prime Minister in the 10th year of King Gyeongdeok's reign in the Silla era (751), established Seokguram Cave. The plane structure of the stone grotto is square in front and round at the back. This stone grotto, which was assembled with artificially trimmed granite, is a masterpiece that harmoniously combines the ideal Buddhist world, science and technology, and sophisticated carving skills with a distinct style from Indian and Chinese influences. Moreover, this stone grotto has a rectangular front chamber (entrance) and a circular main chamber, which are connected by a passage (corridor). The round ceiling of the main chamber is made of about 360 flat stones. This degree of construction skill is very rare, and the excellent technique used can hardly be paralleled in world history. The Cave was registered in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1995.

Tumuli Park, a collection of royal Silla tombs from the Pre-Unification Era, The park contains 20 of the more than 200 royal tombs to be found in Gyeongju. The Cheonmachong was excavated in 1974 and yielded more than 10,000 treasures. These treasures, including a golden crown and a girdle, are in the Gyeongju National Museum. The tomb itself is open for viewing, providing visitors with an opportunity to see how the huge tombs were constructed and how the various items were arranged in them.

 
ITINERARY
| A Course |
08:00 ~ 10:00 Depart for Seokguram Grotto
10:00 ~ 10:50 Tour of Seokguram Grotto
10:50 ~ 11:05 Proceed to Bulguksa Temple
11:05 ~ 12:00 Tour of Bulguksa Temple
12:00 ~ 12:10 Go for lunch
12:10 ~ 13:10 Lunch
13:10 ~ 13:20 Proceed to Gyeongju folk craft village for souvenir shopping
13:20 ~ 14:10 Tour of the Silla kiln and Drop by Gyeongju folk craft village for souvenir shopping
14:10 ~ 15:20 Tour of Tumuli Park
15:20 ~ 15:30 Pass by Cheomseongdae Observatory and Anapji Pond
15:30 ~ 17:00 Arrival at Busan Paradise Hotel Beach
 
| B Course |
08:00 ~ 09:50 Depart for Bulguksa Temple
09:50 ~ 10:45 Tour of Bulguksa Temple
10:45 ~ 11:00 Proceed to Seokguram Grotto
11:00 ~ 11:50 Tour of Seokguram Grotto
11:50 ~ 12:10 Go for lunch
12:10 ~ 13:10 Lunch
13:10 ~ 13:20 Proceed to Gyeongju folk craft village for souvenir shopping
13:20 ~ 14:10 Drop by Gyeongju folk craft village for souvenir shopping and tour of the Silla Kiln
14:10 ~ 14:40 Proceed to Tumuli Park(to back gate)
14:40 ~ 15:20 Tour of Tumuli Park
15:20 ~ 15:30 Pass by Cheomseongdae Observatory and Anapji Pond
15:30 ~ 17:00 Arrival at Busan Paradise Hotel Beach
 
LUNCH
Bulgogi Jeongsik or Sanchae Bibimbap will be served for lunch at Cheongsan Korean restaurant near Bulguksa.

Bulgogi Jeongsik : Broiled beef sirloin and lean meats. It is marinated with sesame oil, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic and other seasonings. (1 serving, cooked and served)

Sanchae Bibimbap : Various seasoned vegetables and beef are nicely arranged with the steamed rice. In particular, Sanchae Bibimbap can be offered to vegetarian, excluding beef.

 
THE SILLA KILN
Silla Pottery was produced and used around the Gyeongju area for one thousand years, beginning during the first century B.C. This is earthenware was made of clay which is abundant in the Gyeongju area. It was made by heating to a temperature in excess of one thousand degrees centigrade. The color was usually bluish gray, but sometimes it was covered with natural varnish when heated. There are many kinds of shapes depending on the use for which they were intended. The daily, living items are the long-necked jar, the mounted cup, the horn-shaped cup and the cup with a bell. The funerary items which were buried with the dead are turtle-shaped, cart-shaped and horse and rider shaped, etc. Urns for the ashes of the dead were of various shapes, but most frequently were distinguished by delicate patterns. Thousands of these earthenware items were uncovered from Silla tumuli, such as the "Heavenly Horse" Tomb, the Golden Crown Tomb, etc. The tumuli scattered around the Gyeongju area are storehouses of these earthenware treasures. The technique of producing Silla Pottery was developed exclusively by the people of Silla and spread to Japan in the middle of the fifth century, resulting in the creation of some kinds of pottery known as "Suheki". After a hard struggle to revive Silla Pottery, the Silla kiln succeeded in reproducing the pottery.
 
PRICE
USD 60, KRW 60,000/person (Min. 100 persons basis)
 
CONDITIONS INCLUDED
  • 45-seated motor coach
  • English speaking guide’s assistance
  • Lunch at a local restaurant
  • Admission fees for each attractions included
  • Travel insurance included
 
LINKS