Foreword : Why Gyeongju?
What kind of place is Gyeongju?
1. The Holy Land of Korean Buddhism, Gyeongju
- Seokguram Grotto: The Prototype of Korean Buddhism
- Bulguksa: Realizing Buddha Land on earth
2. City of the 1000 Years Old Dynasty, Gyeongju
- In Downtown Gyeongju
- Inside the royal tombs of Silla: The treasure chest of Silla culture
- Mount Nam: The Holy Land of Koreans Past and Present
- At the Gyeongju National Museum
Afterword: Between Development and Preservation
From a Western perspective, it is easy to think of Gyeongju as having been a minor city on the periphery of the Eastern world, but nothing could be farther from the truth. I remember what a colleague who is a Silk Road specialist once told me. Let us say that there is a hairpin that was in vogue among noblewomen in Constantinople, one of the four great ancient cities of the world that was mentioned earlier. It would have taken only six months for that hairpin to end up in the hair of a Silla noblewoman. Many such items probably came into Gyeongju after a great deal of travel over roads and deserts, and a fraction of these would have been sent to Japan as well. (12p)
Even Koreans living in the scientific age were only able to find the answer to this question toward the end of the twentieth century. The secret lies in a stream that flows under the floor. The Japanese who discovered Seokguram Grotto during the colonial period in the early twentieth century praised its artistry and skillful construction as ¡®unsurpassed by any in East Asia,¡¯ and promptly began rehabilitation work on it. What they discovered under the floor was a small stream. This was summarily blocked up, not considered to be very important. Cement, a high-tech building material at the time, was used to cover and seal off the top of the dome as a final step. Air circulation inside Seokguram Grotto became impossible. (54~55p)
This roof tile has one interesting feature. If you look closely at the middle part of the tile, you can see that a human face has been drawn in a very comical manner. Only a few simple lines were used to draw a laughing expression on the face. One thing we must keep in mind here is that as a stern and solemn royal temple, little ¡®jokes¡¯ like this would have been prohibited. This picture was probably carved in by the artisan who created this temple and this type of humor is found in Silla clay figurines as well. It is nearly impossible to find examples of these types of pranks in places as important as the royal temple in neighboring China or Japan, but Koreans enjoy it in a variety of settings. (170p)
What is even stranger is that it has sounded for 1,200 years and still makes the most beautiful sound in the world. But most people who see this bell do not seem to think that it is so odd. But how is it that a 1,200 year old object can still fulfill its function? Also, because a bell is continuously beaten, there is no knowing when it will crack. This is why it is so amazing that it has survived in one piece to this day without needing repair. If a crack forms on the surface or a piece breaks off altogether, it is extremely difficult to repair; considering this we can conclude that there have been no problems since its construction. It is impossible to not wonder how this bell could have lasted in perfect condition for over a century. It is the luxury good of luxury goods. It was hit 33 times exactly once a year on December 31st until the early 1980s. (265...p)