Must-see attractions in Gyeongsangbuk-do

  • UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 2004:  South Korea - North Kyongsang - Andong surroundings - Historic village of Hahoe (UNESCO World Heritage List, 2010), typical house.  (Photo By DEA / M. BORCHI/De Agostini/Getty Images)

    Hahoe Folk Village

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    This delightful traditional riverside village – a Unesco World Heritage site – is a place to commune with the traditional fabric of old Korea and, in the…

  • Tumuli-gongwon

    Gyeongju

    The huge, walled park has 23 tombs of Silla monarchs and family members. From the outside, they resemble substantial grassy hillocks that echo the…

  • Daegu Jeil Church

    Daegu

    This red brick structure is one of the city's historic churches. Within the church is a fascinating history of the building and a collection of Bibles and…

  • Noseo-dong Tombs

    Gyeongju

    Near the main shopping area is the Noseo-dong district, where you'll find Silla tombs. Seobongchong and Geumgwanchong are adjacent tombs built between the…

  • Daegu National Museum

    Daegu

    This excellent museum has English labelling throughout most of its collection – and what a collection. Armour, jewellery, Buddhist relics from various…

  • Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral

    Daegu

    An icon and motif of Daegu, this lovely cruciform church is quite a sight, with its twin spires. Originally constructed in wood, the first incarnation…

  • Bonghwangdae

    Gyeongju

    Sprouting huge trees of vast girth, this is the largest extant Silla tomb – 22m high, with a 250m circumference. It's quite a picture at any time put…

  • 500px Photo ID: 89384605 - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bulguksa Temple in Autumn..(Jinheon-dong, Gyeongju city, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea)

    Bulguk-sa

    Gyeongju

    On a series of stone terraces about 16km southeast of Gyeongju, set among gnarled pines and iris gardens, this historic temple is the crowning glory of…

  • Bokdu-am Hermitage

    Gyeongju

    Close to the summit of the thickly forested Obong-san (640m), Bokdu-am features a huge rock face out of which 19 niches have been carved. The three…

  • Juwangsan National Park

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    Beautifully situated among the Baekdu mountains, this 106-sq-km national park is most notable for its sublime limestone pinnacles, verdant valleys,…

  • Haein-sa

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    Holding 81,258 woodblock scriptures, making it one of the largest Buddhist libraries of its kind, this Unesco World Heritage–listed temple should be on…

  • Bogyeong-sa

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    You’ll need a full day to explore the offerings in and around this temple about 30km north of Pohang. Bogyeong-sa is a gateway to a beautiful valley…

  • Seokguram

    Gyeongju

    In the mountains above Bulguk-sa is this world-famous Unesco-listed Buddhist grotto, a magical place when rain and mists envelop the mountaintops and…

  • Jikji-sa

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    Jikji-sa is a postcard-pretty temple in a wonderfully quiet mountain forest setting. The delicate paintings on the temple buildings have an appealing…

  • Gyeongju National Museum

    Gyeongju

    Arguably the best history museum in Korea, the Gyeongju National Museum is where you can appreciate the significance of this ancient city in one fell…

  • Andong Folk Village

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    On a hillside east of town and on the far side of Weolyeonggyo Bridge, Andong Folk Village is a repository for traditional homes moved to prevent them…

  • Anapji Pond

    Gyeongju

    This is a very popular spot for couples to take pre-wedding photos, especially from June to early August when magnificent lotus blossoms seem to fill the…

  • Oksan Seowon

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    Established in 1572 in honour of Yi Eon-jeok (1491–1553), Oksan Seowon was one of the most important seowon, or Confucian academies. Enlarged in 1772, it…

  • Dodong-ri

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    Dodong-ri is the island’s main tourist hub, meaning the greatest selection of lodging and dining options. Behind the ferry terminal, a spiral staircase…

  • Golgul-sa

    Gyeongju

    Finally, a temple where you can do more than just look around. The Buddha carved out of solid rock by Indian monks in the 6th century is fairly…

  • Cheomseongdae

    Gyeongju

    Southeast of Tumuli-gongwon in the attractive sprawl of Wolseong-gongwon is the Far East’s oldest astrological observatory, constructed between AD 632 and…

  • Hwangnyong-sa Site

    Gyeongju

    The ruins of this simply vast 6th century temple are a sad and desolate spectacle: once the nation's largest Buddhist temple, its standout feature was a…

  • Jebiwon Seokbul

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    The body and robes of this Buddha are carved on a boulder over 12m high – on top of which are the head and hair, carved out of two separate pieces of rock…

  • Byeongsan Seowon

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    This Confucian seowon (서원; academy) from 1572 is set in leafy surrounds arranged with a typical sense of Confucian balance, with the main hall and…

  • Dongnakdang

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    A 10-minute walk beyond Oksan Seowon up the valley road will bring you to Dongnakdang, a beautiful collection of well-preserved buildings, constructed in…

  • Gatbawi

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    Gatbawi is a medicinal Buddha shrine and national treasure, some 850m above sea level and said to date back to AD 638. This Buddha is famed for the flat…

  • Bunhwang-sa

    Gyeongju

    This large pagoda was built in the mid-7th century during Queen Seondeok’s reign, making it the oldest datable pagoda in Korea. It’s a rare example of one…

  • Soju Museum

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    The heady 45% soju (local vodka) of Andong may not be to your taste, but its significance has been preserved with its designation as an intangible…

  • Lake Bomun Resort

    Gyeongju

    Bomun is a tourist district around an artificial lake 5km east of central Gyeongju. Tradition-seekers will find the tandem bikes, paddle boats, conference…

  • Mineral Spring Park

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    The highlight of this park, a 350m climb above Dodong-ri, is the cable car across a steep valley to Manghyang-bong (316m). The ride up affords stunning…

  • Dosan Seowon

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    This sublime and hoary Confucian academy has a tranquil setting enveloped by mountains and perched over the river. The quiet, introspective halls are…

  • Banwol-seong

    Gyeongju

    A few minutes’ walk south through the trees from Cheomseongdae, Banwol-seong is the site of a once-fabled fortress. Now it’s attractive parkland, where…

  • Seven-Storey Brick Pagoda

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    Just east of town along the railway line, you will come to this beauty – the oldest and largest brick pagoda in Korea. At almost 17m in height, the pagoda…

  • Girim-sa

    Gyeongju

    Girim-sa is one of the largest complexes in the vicinity of the Silla capital, about 3.5km down the road from Golgul-sa. Its size compares with that of…

  • Daegu’s Herbal Medicine Market

    Daegu

    This market, west of the central shopping district, has a history as vast as its scope. It dates from 1658, making it Korea’s oldest medicine market and…

  • Underwater Tomb of King Munmu

    Gyeongju

    This small rocky island offshore is the legendary tomb of King Munmu (661-681), Silla king and unifier of the three kingdoms, who demanded he be laid to…

  • Bullo-dong Tumuli-gongwon

    Daegu

    In the north end of the city, Bullo-dong Tumuli-gongwon is an enormous open space covering some 330,000 sq metres. The grassy hillocks that rise like…

  • Daegu Hyanggyo Confucian School

    Daegu

    This tranquil Confucian School at the heart of Daegu is an oasis of introspective calm which dates to 1398 (though it was burned down by the Japanese and…

  • Taeha-ri

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    There is a terrific view of the northern coastline from Hyangmok Lighthouse (향목 등대) in the northwest corner of the island, about 20km from Dodong-ri. To…

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