Wolseong Palace Site
Wolseong Palace Site in Gyeongju, the half-moon fortress
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Planning the visit
Wolseong Palace Site is stop 5 of 8 on the Golden Era Route.
You will find the stamp at the Korean Culture & Tourism Guide Office at Cheomseongdae.
The two closest stamp points are Gyerim Forest, 0.5 km away, and Bulguksa Temple at 11 km. All three fit into one day.
Details
- Address
- 387-1, Inwang-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- Stamp zone
- Korean Culture & Tourism Guide Office at Cheomseongdae
- Coordinates
- 35.83653, 129.21923
What the campaign says about it
Wolseong used to serve as the royal palace of Silla. The Samguk Sagi says that Wolseong was built in 101 CE (22nd year of King Pasa), meaning this is when Silla moved its capital from Geumseong to Wolseong. During the reign of King Munmu, parts of Anapji, Imhaejeon, and Cheomseongdae were incorporated into Wolseong, which vastly expanded the castle. Wolseong served as the royal palace until 935 CE, when Silla finally collapsed. It was also known as “Banwolseong” or “Sinwolseong” because its layout resembled the shape of a half moon. It was also called the “Jaeseong” because it was the residence of Silla’s monarch. Except for the southern part of the wall, where there is a cliff, the eastern and western parts were built using soil and stone blocks. Wolseong also had a moat, which helped defend the city from invaders. A moat is a body of water artificially dug around a castle wall to keep enemies out. Originally, Wolseong had several gates, pavilions, and administrative buildings. Unfortunately, most of them have been lost to time - only the site of the gate that led to Donggung and Wolji, and the Seokbinggo, which was moved from the west of Wolseong, remain to this day.
Quoted from the Visit Korean Heritage Campaign.
Getting there
Get off at the KTX Singyeongju station → Take bus no. 700 at the Singyeongju station bus stop → Get off at Donggung and Wolji bus stop → Walk for 8 minutes
Photographs
Photographs supplied by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.