Gyeongju

This city was once the center of the Silla Dynasty and is considered Korea's ancient cultural capital.  It is among one of the world's 10 most important ancient cultural sites. Today it has 150,000 people - back in the day it had millions.  These mounds are tombs of royals - there are hundreds in this area.  Inside each is not only the coffin, but gold and silver and other pottery buried with the royals to use in the afterlife.

Double Mounds have King and Queen buried there

Ryan in front of King Micha's Tomb

According to legend King Micha's spirit was the defender of the nation.  Once when another Silla king was being beaten in battle, it is said that unknown soldiers appeared and routed the enemy.  These soldiers had bamboo leaves growing from their ears.  After the battle they disappeared except for the bamboo leaves which were planted in front of King M's grave - the very same bamboo behind Ryan.

Our private room was inside open door

Wandering around after looking at tombs we came across a small courtyard which turned out to be a restaurant.  Each door opens to a small private dining area.

Walking into back alley to discover the restaurant

  See below the amazing meal.

The large dish is a Korean pancake - veggies, squid

The other side of the courtyard

This is another view of the restaurant -

and when we went to go to the bathroom before we left - I found this sign on the men's room -- which let me know that this was not the room for me.

There was a great Museum in the city - Gyeongju National Museum - where a stunning number of gold and silver artifacts are on display - all from inside the tombs.  Most of the tombs have yet to be excavated, so you can imagine what is left in those mounds and why during the Silla Dynasty this was known as the City of Gold.   Outside there is a large bell - said to be Korea's most beloved bell, named Emille Bell cast in 711.  One of the world's largest, it has a really sad story attached.  Legend says that when the bell was first struck, it failed to ring.  Recast and struck again, it cracked.  Numerous failures followed until a spirit appeared in a dream to the head priest and said the five spirit dragon needed to be appeased for the bell to work.  To accomplish this a young girl was thrown in the molten metal before it was poured.  It worked and the bell rang and did not crack - but the bell resonated with a mournful cry of a child for its mother - "emille" in ancient Silla.

Mike in front of Emille Bell

In the town - the symbols are not Nazi - this symbol is ancient and was adopted by the Nazis - it is commonly seen in Buddhist places and is also found in Sanskrit.