| Gyeongju's Toham-san 토함산 Eastern sacred "Breathing" Mountain Host to Bulguk-sa, Seokgul-am, Girim-sa and more |
| Toham-san's Bulguk-sa, one of Korea's top-20 temples, seen from the sky |
Munmu-daewang-neung, the Tomb of Great King Munmu who led Shilla to
Unification of most of the Korean Peninsula, at dawn. The monarch was laid
to rest amid these offshore rocks at the eastern foot of Toham-san in the late
800s, by his own command -- he said that he would become a Dragon to
protect his realm against the eastern-island pirates (the proto-Japanese).
Unification of most of the Korean Peninsula, at dawn. The monarch was laid
to rest amid these offshore rocks at the eastern foot of Toham-san in the late
800s, by his own command -- he said that he would become a Dragon to
protect his realm against the eastern-island pirates (the proto-Japanese).
| the world-famous Seokgul-am grotto-temple complex, seen from the sky |
Bulguk-sa
Seokgul-am
Girim-sa
Gogul-sa
O-eo-sa
Gameun-saji and Munmu-daewang-neung
(this page)
Seokgul-am
Girim-sa
Gogul-sa
O-eo-sa
Gameun-saji and Munmu-daewang-neung
(this page)
| beautiful sunrise photo of Munmu-daewang-neung by Jason Teale that bridge is new... |
| The gigantic but lonely twin-pair of pagodas [ssang-tap] of Gam-eun-saji. This was once a grand temple overlooking the Munmu-daewng-neung, huge and active from around 700 CE until the early 1200s (when the Mongols sacked and burned it), but now these towers are all that remain -- the largest extant Shilla pagodas. Many relics found here are in the Gyeongju National Museum. |
Toham-san (토함산吐含山) literally means "exhaling inhaling mountain", which is named
]so because the mountain "inhales" clouds and "exhales" mist all around the year, which m
akes it look even more dramatic and mysterious. -- thanks to Dongmin Goh for interpretation.
]so because the mountain "inhales" clouds and "exhales" mist all around the year, which m
akes it look even more dramatic and mysterious. -- thanks to Dongmin Goh for interpretation.