A sramana named Muk Ho-ja is one of the monks who traveled to Silla from India or Central Asia to study Buddhism. Around the 5 th century, Buddhism was brought to Gyeongju from Central Asia via China. Records show that music and plays from Central Asia were popular at the time, including ‘kumwan’, a kind of acrobatics with Central Asian origin, which could be found in a small clay figurine excavated in Silla.īuddhism was introduced to the region through the Silk Roads. Some raw materials such as gold and silver were also processed in Gyeongju, and then exported to Japan via the maritime Silk Road.įollowing the prospering trade activities in Gyeongju, cultural interactions took place in this ancient capital. For instance, filigree technique, which originated in Egypt, was often adopted in Silla’s craftworks in precious metal. During the period, numerous high quality artcraft pieces were produced in Gyeongju using various techniques came from abroad. These exchanges of goods not only made Gyeongju a vival centre of commerce in the Silla, but also incentivised the advancement of local artisanship. Also, gold, silver and glass from Persia flowed into Silla via China. Luxury Persian goods such as tails of peacock, gems and feathers were largely traded here. Records indicate that these merchants probably entered the port of Ulsan, about 40kms to the south of Gyeongju. Merchants from China, Japan and Arab started to flow into Gyeongju, making it a hub for travelers by land and sea. The city of Chang’an, which was designed during Sui dynasty and prospered in Tang in China, provided a model for the Silla.Īfter the unification of the Three Kingdoms in 668 AD, Gyeongju became the centre of economic life of the peninsula. It seems that the city adopted a grid pattern and experienced a huge transformation during the 7 th century. In the early period, Gyeongju was modest in size and form, gradually expanding into a city. According to the Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) and the Samguk yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), the Silla Kingdom was founded by Pak Hyeokgeose in Gyeongju.
Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla during the Three Kingdoms (57BC – 668AD) and the Great Silla Kingdom (668AD-935AD) for over 1,000 years. Today, Gyeongju is one of the major metropolican cities in the Republic of Korea, located in the present North Gyeongsang province. The city's name "Gyeongju" was established in around 935AD by King Taejo, meaning "Congratulatory district".
Gyeongju (Kyongju) is known as “the museum without walls” because of the vast number of cultural properties and archaeological sites of the city.
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