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Gyeongju |
Gyeongju (경주시; 慶州市; fortuitous.province.city) is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do. It is most famous for having been the capital of the Silla dynasty, and there are a number of remaining tombs and ruins from the time period. Other attractions include the famous temple Bulguksa and the nearby Seokguram grotto's huge Buddha statue; Bomun Lake is a large resort area.
The population as of 2004 was 280,092, including:
- 277,870 Koreans and
- 2,222 non-Koreans.
[edit] Administration
[edit] Administrative divisions
| Romanization
| Hangul
| Hanja
| Pop. (2004)*
| Area (km²)
|
| 1. Sannae-myeon
| 산내면
| 山內面
| 3,695
| 142.25
|
| 2. Seo-myeon
| 서면
| 西面
| 4,437
| 52.86
|
| 3. Hyeongok-myeon
| 현곡면
| 見谷面
| 11,535
| 55.88
|
| 4. Angang-eup
| 안강읍
| 安康邑
| 35,753
| 139.08
|
| 5. Gangdong-myeon
| 강동면
| 江東面
| 9,006
| 81.48
|
| 6. Cheonbuk-myeon
| 천북면
| 川北面
| 6,133
| 58.21
|
| 7. Yangbuk-myeon
| 양북면
| 陽北面
| 4,524
| 120.06
|
| 8. Gampo-eup
| 감포읍
| 甘浦邑
| 7,935
| 44.75
|
| 9. Yangnam-myeon
| 양남면
| 陽南面
| 6,860
| 84.95
|
| 10. Oedong-eup
| 외동읍
| 外東邑
| 18,347
| 110.34
|
| 11. Naenam-myeon
| 내남면
| 內南面
| 6,062
| 121.96
|
| 12. Geoncheon-eup
| 건천읍
| 乾川邑
| 12,235
| 90.46
|
| 13. Seondo-dong
| 선도동
| 仙桃洞
| 12,753
| 28.02
|
| 14. Seonggeon-dong
| 성건동
| 城乾洞
| 19,043
| 6.44
|
| 15. Hwangseong-dong
| 황성동
| 隍城洞
| 31,381
| 3.84
|
| 16. Yonggang-dong
| 용강동
| 龍江洞
| 16,628
| 5.06
|
| 17. Bodeok-dong
| 보덕동
| 普德洞
| 2,266
| 80.94
|
| 18. Bulguk-dong
| 불국동
| 佛國洞
| 3,498
| 37.26
|
| 19. Tapjeong-dong
| 탑정동
| 塔正洞
| 5,924
| 19.67
|
| 20. Jungbu-dong
| 중부동
| 中部洞
| 7,595
| 0.93
|
| 21. Hwango-dong
| 황오동
| 皇吾洞
| 6,764
| 0.69
|
| 22. Dongcheon-dong
| 동천동
| 東川洞
| 27,126
| 5.1
|
| 23. Wolseong-dong
| 월성동
| 月城洞
| 7,036
| 31.4
|
| 24. Hwangnam-dong
| 황남동
| 皇南洞
| 4,287
| 0.83
|
| 25. Seongdong-dong
| 성동동
| 城東洞
| 5,319
| 0.64
|
[edit] Government offices
Gyeongju City Hall is located in the northeast part of town, north of Buk-cheon. The Gyeongju Post Office is a block west of the train station on the south side of Hwarangno, the east-west main street.
[edit] Issues
[edit] Nuclear waste
Gyeongju was chosen in November 2005 to be the site of the first nuclear waste dump in the country. The Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Corporation agreed to relocate its headquarters to the region. In late December there were protests with about 500 people in Yangbuk-myeon that included burning tires to protest the fact that the waste dump would be located there but the company headquarters were to be located downtown instead. Hosting the nuclear waste dump for the low and intermediate-level radioactive waste gives a city 300 billion won in economic subsidies a year ($323 million US) in addition to the relocation of the corporation. Three other cities bid to be the location of the nuclear waste dump. A total of 800 workers as well as their families are to be moved to the region.
[edit] Restaurants
Gyeongju has several dishes for which it is noted - not all of these are strictly local creations, but they are featured in areas where concentrations of specialty restaurants exist.
- Ssambap street is near Chomseongdae in the south part of Gyeongju. There are perhaps 15 or 20 places featuring this cuisine in a matter of a couple blocks.
- Sundubu is featured at a small clump of restaurants just to the west of the ssambap ones. Also the Bukgun Food Village near the dam on Lake Bomun features several sundubu places.
- Other featured restaurant villages or streets are for bulgogi and haejangguk.
See Korean restaurants in Gyeongju
As the average Korean, Japanese, and Chinese restaurants are in abundance throughout Korea and are easy for foreigners to find, the following restaurants reflect a sampling of restaurants considered to be either popular or are western-friendly choices and other ethnic foods.
See Western restaurants in Gyeongju
[edit] Shopping
The nearest department stores are in Ulsan and Pohang.
[edit] Public markets
- Dongcheon is a small market in north Gyeongju, near the city hall. There's just 1 or 2 shops of each variety here.
- Hwangnam (황남) is a smaller market in the southwest of Gyeongju - it's a couple blocks west of the south end of Tumili Park.
- Jung-ang (중앙) is right in the middle of town, as its name suggests. It extends out from the southwest corner of Hwarangno and Dongdaero. There are a group of small restaurants within the maw of the market, also a number of them on the adjacents main streets. Good produce section, but this market is not quite as large as Seongdong.
- Seongdong (성동) is Gyeongju's largest market, it is across from the train station on the north side of the main east-west street, Hwarangno. Good selection of seafood and meat. A number of restaurant stalls are here - noteable are several featuring three kinds of juk, and some with an unusual variety of twigim, including whole deep-fried fish and slabs of meat. A nice pajeon can be bought here for an inexpensive 1000 won.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Getting there
- Air. Nearest air access is from Daegu or Busan.
- Bus. The intercity bus terminal is on the west side of the city. The express terminal is a block from that.
- Train. Gyeongju Station is on the east end of downtown Gyeongju. Trains to Seoul, Daegu, Ulsan, Pohang, and Andong.
- Highway. Just a few kilometers northeast of the Gyeongbu Expressway (Highway 1), between Daegu and Busan.
[edit] Local transport
Local buses cost 1000 won for the older buses, 1500 for the newer ones. To get to Bomun Lake, take the No. 10 bus. To return from Bomun Lake, take the No. 11 bus. These also go to Bulguksa.
[edit] Tourism
[edit] Accommodation
- There are quite a few tourist hotels, love motels, and minbak located with a 10-minute walk of the intercity bus station. A few of the minbaks claim to offer English and Japanese travel advice.
- Several hotels and yeogwans are a couple blocks north and a bit west of the train station. Several less-optimal places are located a couple blocks west and then a bit south of the train station.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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