Have you ever heard about Silla? Silla was a Korean kingdom, which lasted for one thousand years. As Silla had a long history, it had an amazing culture. Also, it bequeathed many cultural assets. The most typical cultural assets of Silla are Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa. Therefore, I would like to explain to you these cultural assets.

The first cultural asset of Silla is Seokguram Grotto. Seokguram is an artificial grotto that has a statue of Buddha. Seokguram consists of the main chamber, front room, and hallway. In the front room, there are sculptures of Palbusinjung. Then, entering the hallway, there are sculptures of the four warrior spirits and Bodhisattva. In the main chamber, there is a statue of Buddha, and there are sculptures often followers of Buddha on the surface of a wall. Though there are many sculptures, the main reason for Seokguram Grotto's beauty is the statue of Buddha. Its image is so realistic that every person who sees the statue will be shocked. Its figure is so detailed even the carve in the collar of the clothes that Buddha wears.

▲ A Statue of Buddha

The second cultural asset of Silla is Bulguksa Temple. Bulguksa Temple stands for the world and the creed of Buddhism. The name of the two bridges in Bulguksa Temple is Cheongwoon Bridge and Bagun Bridge. These two bridges stand for the way to the world of Buddha. In Bulguksa Temple, there are two pagodas, and they are called Seokgatap and Dabotap. Seokgatap looks very simple, but it is very beautiful. On the contrary, Dabotap looks very fancy, and it is alluring.

▲ Bulguksa Temple

These beautiful cultural assets, Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple are the national treasures of South Korea. Moreover, these two cultural assets were recognized for their fancy, and they were registered in UNESCO World Heritage. Also, according to the research of Gyeongsangbuk-Do Culture and Tourism Organization, 79.4 percent of foreigners were pleased with their tour in Gyeongju. To experience these cultural assets, why do you not travel to Gyeongju?

By Yejun Park