Rajeev's World

Saturday, March 5, 2016

The Pavilions Of Anapji...

Our next stop, after the mysterious mounds of Cheonmachong, on this whirlwind tour of Gyeongju was the Anapji Pond, which today, goes by the name of Wolji Pond.

According to the historical records, the artificial Wolji Pond was built 675 AD during the reign of King Munmu of the Silla Dynasty. The pond is oval shaped and has three islands within it, with overlooking pavilions.

The Silla kings ornately landscaped the area with small hillocks, planted exotic flowers and brought in rare animals to create a garden fit for royalty.

Remains of the erstwhile Silla structures can be barely seen today...

A reconstructed pavilion...

Idyllic...

A fish in the pond...

This reminded me of char chinar of Dal Lake in Srinagar, India...

I could spend a whole day here in these idyllic surroundings...

The Mysterious Mounds Of Cheonmachong...

There are some mysterious structures that will be keep hounding humankind like the ruins of Mohenjodaro, pyramids of Giza or the Great Zimbabwe in Southern Africa.

Gyeongju is home to one such mysterious structure - the mounds of Cheonmachong. No one really knows why they were made. But the consensus seems to be revolving around the thought that they could be the ancient tombs of kings and nobles of the Silla Kingdom.

The Cheonmachong tomb complex is home to 23 large tombs...

The burial mounds look like small hillocks and climbing them is prohibited. This is afterall regarded as sacred ground...

The mounds were discovered in a round of archaeological excavation of the area in the 1970s. The most notable mound, Cheonmachong was discovered with a painting of a mounted horse, which incidentally is the only discovered painting from the Silla era. The painting of the horse gave the tomb complex its name.

It was extremely windy and cold...

Entering the Cheonmachong...

Artifacts found inside the tomb...

A burial pit inside the Cheonmachong...

The gold crown of the Silla dynasty...

Other gold ornaments...

A gold waistband...

Ceramic ware...

Stepping out into the cold...

Perhaps there is more to the mysteries of the Cheonmachong, perhaps there isn't. We may never be able to find out. But it is that mystery that draws people to this place and that makes the place unique. It makes people bond to the place...

Indeed the Cheonmachong made me realise why Gyeongju is so quintessentially Korean...

Bunhwangsa - A Relic From The Old Silla Age...

Disappoints often lead to something good as we were soon to find out. Deeply disappointed after our visit to the Silla Arts and Science Museum, we proceed to the ancient Bunhwangsa temple.

Nestled in the midst of a thicket of leaf-less trees, the Bunhwangsa temple spoke of an indescribable charm when we first set our eyes on it!

Bunhwangsa literally means Fragrant Emperor Temple. The temple complex dates back to the Silla era and was built in 634 by Queen Seondeok. In its heydays, the temple covered several acres and was one of the four main temples of the Silla Kingdom used by the state to seek blessings for the kingdom...

The temple is shaped like a pagoda and is modeled on temples from the Tang Dynasty in China. However, Silla architects used stones of black andesite cut into blocks, like bricks. It is believed that the temple once stood seven or nine stories in height, but today, only three tiers of the pagoda remain...