• Gyeongju

    Rock-Carved Seated Buddha in Bulgok Valley of Namsan Mountain – 남산불곡석불좌상 (Gyeongju)

    The History and Design of the Statue Officially, this statue is known as the Rock-Carved Seated Buddha in Bulgok Valley of Namsan Mountain – 남산불곡석불좌상, and it’s located on the north-east side of the historic Mt. Namsan (494 m) in Gyeongju. In fact, the name of the valley, which means “Buddha Valley” in English, is named after this statue. This statue is also known as the Bucheogol Halmae, or the “Buddha Valley Grandmother” in English. While little visited, women continue to pray at this shrine to have their wishes come true. You’ll first approach the one metre tall statue of the Buddha up a trail that leads through a bamboo…

  • Gyeongju

    Samreung Valley on Mt. Namsan – 삼릉골 (Gyeongju)

    Valley Layout Samreung Valley, on the west side of Mt. Namsan (495.1m) in Gyeongju, means “Three Tombs Valley,” in English. If Gyeongju is considered an outdoor museum then Mt. Namsan, and, more specifically, the Samreung Valley, is an outdoor shrine to Korean Buddhism. From the visitors centre and the parking lot, it’s about a 1.5 kilometre hike to the top of the mountain. Leaving enough time to see everything, which there’s a lot to see, it’ll take anywhere from an hour to two hours to hike. The trail starts off rather easy, and then it gets gradually steeper at the midway point. The first thing you’ll come across during this…