This Time Last Year: Gyeongju, South Korea.

Hi! Tom from Living Monstrosity here (also of Shades Of Loss and Doomsday Sun)!
Last year I spent two months in Korea and spent a lot of time wandering around taking photographs, that I want to share with you.
I spent two weeks in Gyeongju, which was the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57BCE - 935CE) for nearly 1,000 years, and has some of the best preserved historic sites in Korea, dating back to the Kingdoms first rulers.
As well as sharing the photographs I took whilst there, I also wanted to talk about this history of the Silla Kingdom that I learned about whilst I was there.
There are links to Living Monstrosity's other sites (Bandcamp, faceboook, etc.) below, as well a brief overview of the video.
Here is a link to a news report mentioned in the video, which talks about two of Gyeongju's towers getting married in 2015 (Arirang News): • Gyeongju Tower marries...
Living Monstrosity // Shades Of Loss on Bandcamp, Facebook, Insta, Spotify: linktr.ee/livi...
HISTORY / Locations Featured:
Oleung / 오릉 (Gyeongju Five Royal Tombs / 경주 오릉); which is the resting place of the Kingdoms first ruler; Pak Hyeokgeose 박 혁거세, as well his wife Lady Aryeong / 알영부인, and their son, grandson and great-grandson.
Legend has it that Pak Hyeokgeose was found in an egg that that descended from the sky, whose arrival was signalled by a flying horse. His wife Lady Aryeong was born from the ribcage of a dragon and had a chickens beak that washed off in a stream.
The Kingdom, at the time known as Seorabeol / 서라벌 with Gyeongju also known as Geumseong / 금성, "Golden Fortress" or "The Golden City", after a fort built by Hyeokgeose in 37BCE.
The first time the name Silla / 신라 was used was in 504CE by King Jijeung / 지증왕, who is believed to be buried in Cheonmachong / 천마총, or "Tomb of the Heavenly Horse", located in Gyeongju Daereungwon Ancient Tomb Complex (경주 대릉원 일원).
Several of Gyeongju's most famous landmarks were built under the rule of Queen Seondeok / 선덕여왕 including Cheomseongdae Observatory (경주 첨성대), Bunhwangsa Temple (분황사) and the 9-Story Pagoda at Hwangyongsa (황룡사), which was burnt down by Mongols in 1238CE.
Dongguk Palace and Wolji Pond (동궁과 월지) were built under the rule of King Munmu / 문무왕, who was buried at sea in an underwater tomb, where his spirt became a Blue Dragon that protected the Eastern Sea.
Bulguksa / 불국사, Seokguram / 석굴암 and Woljeong Bridge / 월정교 are highly picturesque sites built in the 700's.
#korea #gyeongju #travel #photography #travelphotography #southkorea #silla #경주