Gyeongju City Tour Bus (part 3): 첨성대 (Cheomseongdae)

The next spot we visited was Cheomseongdae. Wait..I lied. we did not REALLY visit this place. The tour guide told us..that we'd better just look and 'admire' the Cheomseongdae from inside the BUS. ^^ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

So, we just took the picture from the window of the bus.

Okay...it's more than 9 meter-high. The oldest astronomical observatory in Korea...wait..in Far East. Built during Shilla Dynasty. hmm, let's see what else do I know? oh..it looks like a bottle...and it's one of the technological and scientific achievement of the Shilla. 

Okay..I couldn't agree more. It's okay just to look at it from afar. After all, as the guide told us, most people wondered and blurted out " oh, it's not that tall....and not quite as what I'd expected"

But then...the tour guide told us that the height of the observatory did not matter in observing the celestial objects. Oh....!! What's then?  

Okay..bye bye....첨성대....^^

Gyeongju City Bus Tour (part 1): Poseokjeong 포석정

We booked Gyeongju City Tour Bus: 8 Hours. 8 Places of interest. Each cost around 25,000 Won (bus, including all entrance fee, excluding lunch). We prepared our own lunch^^

The bus provides us with information on what to see before disembarking on each tourist spot. Oh, it's in 3 or 4 languages. 

The first site is Poseokjeong. Now let the pictures speak for themselves, first. 

I wish I'd come on Autumn!!!!!! 

We'd better take shades....^^ I mean..it was stiflingly HOT. But, sure..some people did attentively listen to the guide.

Is this the canal that's been talked about? I thought it would be grandiose....., though

Some of remains of the floors of the Shilla Kingdom... 

As for the other buildings...they're simply gone... 

only...trees now...stood there... 

Group pic. is a must.  

I was blending in....... 

Okay..A little bit about Poseokjeong: it's a separate royal palace where the kings of Shilla held banquets for the nobles. Although the palace is gone (destroyed??), the stone water canal (see the pic.  above?) remains. I heard it was made of granite. hmmm.

Oh, one interesting fact of this place was that the kings used to float their drinking cups on the canal...and while doing that, they were making poetry. (gosh..they did have some leisure time:). 

hmm one more fact...the last king of Shilla, King Gyeonggae (??) met his death here...and then came the kingdom of Baekje....

That's what I know about this place. More about this? hmmmmm no...