Gyerim, also called Gyerim Forest in English, is a small park in Gyeongju, south of Tumuli Park and Cheomseongdae, and a bit northwest of Seokbinggo. It has a long history, but the current incarnation was opened on January 21, 1963 and is designated Historic Site No. 19.
The forest is traditionally believed to have been the birthplace of Kim Al-ji founder of the Gyeongju Kim clan. According to the Samguk Yusa, the story goes that in the reign of King Talhae, a man called Hogong was walking in the forest heard when he heard a rooster crow. Following the sound, he discovered a golden cradle in a tree. Told of this, the king himself went and took down the cradle, finding a baby inside whom he named Gim Al-ji. This story is inscribed on the forest's stele, which was erected in 1803, and is the reason the forest is called "chicken forest".
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