Friday, May 14: On our third morning Anna, Seth and I went up to Bulguksa Temple; Myrna ended up joining us. Construction of this temple was begun by Prime Minister Gin Dae-seong in 751, the 10th year of King Gyeongdeok, and was completed in 774, the 10th year of King Hyegong. It served as a center of Silla Buddhism and of prayer for the protection of the country from foreign invasion. Sadly, prayer didn’t save the temple as Japanese invaders burned it to the ground in 1593; it was finally restored in 1973. In 1995, along with Seokguram grotto, the temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
a pond at the entrance to Bulguksa Temple
Anna & Seth at Bulguksa Temple
me at Bulguksa Temple
at Bulguksa Temple
Myrna with a drum at Bulguksa Temple
Lanterns at Bulguksa Temple
Bulguksa Temple
Bulguksa Temple
Making wishes at Bulguksa Temple
Wishes at Bulguksa Temple
Wishes at Bulguksa Temple
me back at the entrance to Bulguksa Temple
With some strange company near the Bulguksa Temple entrance
After Bulguksa, we visited the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia, called Cheomseongdae. It was built during the reign of Silla Queen Seondeok (reign: 632-647). The bottle-shaped tower made of square granite stones stands on a square stone base. Up to the 12th layer from the bottom, this hollow tower was filled with soil and pebbles. Between the 13th and 15th layer, there is a square opening through which an observer can ascend to the top.
Cheomseongdae
Cheomseongdae
Next to Cheomseongdae was a lovely field of green grass where families were out running around….such an idyllic scene, with a nice breeze and tombs and mountains in the background.
fields of green near Cheomseongdae
I also loved the strange Gyerim Forest, where apparently a baby king was found in a tree when people heard a rooster crowing.
the strange surreal Gyerim Forest
Gyerim Forest
me in Gyerim Forest
