Although Seoul and Gyeongju are inherently different, both cities have much to offer to its visitors. Gyeongju is not only a city rich with history, but it is also three times the size of Seoul. This Sunday we embarked on a cultural tour throughout the city, visiting many of its important remaining sites. Gyeongju was actually the capital of one of Korea’s ancient kingdoms called Silla. Therefore, the city itself is littered with relics; interestingly, if a resident is digging in their backyard and finds gold, it is their responsibility to turn the relics (or gold) into the government since the land is technically theirs. This is due to Gyeongju’s status as a historical city and in some places, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For example, places such as the Bulguksa temple and Seokguram temple are designated as World Heritage Sites and protected. We were lucky enough to visit these temples on Buddha’s birthday, which is observed and celebrated in South Korea on May 12. At the temple, the outside was lined with lanterns each representative of a certain soul or person to be prayed for. Furthermore, I was able to “bathe” the Buddha, or use a ladle to pour water on the Buddha statue three times. This process is supposed to bring good luck, and I think all of us students are always looking for some of that! This ritual also signifies the importance of Buddha’s Birthday to Buddhists in South Korea.

Another place we visited is called the Daereungwon tomb complex, in which people from the fourth, fifth, and sixth century were buried. The burial procedure in the past was extremely interesting since the dead are not placed six feet under the ground with a gravestone on top. The park was filled with man-made hills of clay and rock with the coffin of a person inside. The height of the hill was directly proportional to a person’s status. The park was filled with thousands of relics now displayed in their museum. There were 22 karat gold crowns and earrings that could have belonged only to people of royal descent. Other artifacts included arrowheads, armor, and pottery. This experience helped me gain a greater experience of Korean culture and history because I had the ability to see with my own eyes their creations and their tradition in place.