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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.
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