I went to Buseoksa (or Buseok Temple)… it was incredible.  It is one of the most beautiful temples I’ve seen in Korea (along with Naksansa and Donghwasa) sitting in the beautiful mountains of the Northern Gyeongsang province.

The history of the temple is quite impressive.  It was originally built in 676 AD during the Silla Dynasty (57 AD – 935 AD) by Uisang.  But Uisang didn’t do it alone!  He was helped in this feat by his beloved, Seonmyo.  Seonmyo and Uisang loved each other, but Seonmyo was heartbroken when she heard that Uisang would be leaving her to go build Buseok Temple, so she jumped into the water and drowned; then becoming a dragon who would go on to protect Uisang from all meddlesome pagans and ne’er-do-wells.

I wish Abigail Adams had a dragon backstory.  It’s so romantic and so much better than “she stayed home to tend to the farm.”

This temple is a must see.  In addition to being stunningly beautiful, the main building is one of the oldest wooden structures in Korea, being built in 1376.

Here are the photos.  You can view the full set here.

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So, I’d been planning my trip to Gyeongju all week.  I was totally pumped because Gyeongju was the capitol of Korea during the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C. – 935 A.D.).  The Silla Dynasty (pronounced shilla) is the longest sustained dynasty in Asian history.  [More history after the jump...]

When I got to the bus station (very proud of myself for having directed the taxi in Korean), I bought my ticket.  I specifically said “Gyeongju”… but somehow, I ended up in Yeongju.  I was actually quite annoyed because I had taken special precaution to enunciate clearly and loudly as I had feared this might happen.

So, after arriving in Yeongju, I promptly got back on another bus and went to Daegu to search out the Outback Steakhouse I had seen on a prior visit… allowing myself to regroup while eating butter for the first time in two months.

After that I ran into two American servicemen drinking soju on the sidewalk at 1pm.  They continued to pursue conversation  (belts, soju, vacation, TV) despite the fact that there was absolutely no chance we might ever have anything worthwhile to say to one another.

I then proceeded to the “Lotte Department Store.”  This is basically an 8 floor mall with everything from Gucci to the Tommy Hilfiger.  And in addition to the stares that say “you’re-the-only-white-person-here” I was also graced with the up-and-down looks that say “you-look-like-you’re-going-hiking-in-Gyeongju-and-you-are-NOT-supposed-to-wear-those-clothes-when-you-are-shopping!”

I also have this habit of putting my sunglasses on my head when I’m inside.  This works well for me as a person, but not so much for my looks as it makes my hair stick out on the sides… all day.  So, I basically looked like a bum with hair going in every direction.

Then, I bought my third bus ticket of the day and finally made it to Gyeongju.  It was wonderful.  It was beautiful.  I’m so glad I didn’t give up, which I was this close to doing while I was gorging on my Outback mystery meat covered in Korean sauces.

The photos you see are the tombs of the Kings, Queens, and noblemen of the Silla Dynasty.  The tombs are the enormous mounds you see.  They were actually quite stunning to see in real life… I don’t think the pictures do them justice.

You can see the full set here.

Three Kingdoms at the end of the 5th Century

MORE HISTORY: During this time, Silla maintained close contact with the Tang Dynasty of China, thereby infusing many Chinese cultural traits — including books, art, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

Also, in 668, King Munmu became the first leader to unify the peninsula (before this time, there were three kingdoms).

And last but certainly not least — it is during this time that we have the earliest evidence of woodblock printing.  A Buddhist sutra was discovered inside of the Pagoda That Casts No Shadows dating from 751.  Please note that Europe did not replicate this feat until around 1440…

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