Chuseok, originally known as Hangawi , from archaic Korean for "the great middle (of autumn)"), is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Like many other harvest festivals, it is held around the Autumn Equinox. As a celebration of the good harvest, Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food such as songpyeon and rice wines such as sindoju and dongdongju.
It has often been described to me as the "Korean Thanksgiving."
Taking advantage of the time off to see more of Korea, Andy and I went for a three day trip to Gyeongju, a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of the North Gyeongsang province.
Gyeongju is known for its historical treasures. It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 BC – 935 AD) which ruled about two-thirds of the Korean Peninsula between the 7th and 9th centuries. A vast number of archaeological sites and cultural properties from this period remain in the city, many of which are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
At this point, I will leave you with pictures from the city. It was a beautiful place to visit and we had a wonderful time, so much so that we hope to visit again before we leave Korea.
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| Standing on a rock next to a stream, Poseokjeongji was designated as private monument No.1 on January 21, 1963. The location is originally where the royal villa of the Silla dynasty had been, but the building no longer exists. Only a stone waterway shaped as a shell is left in its place. |
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| This was taken at the Daereungwon Tomb Complex where large ancient tombs of kings and noblemen of the Silla Dynasty can be seen. Such tombs are located all over the city. These great, green mounds are a strange (albeit beautiful) contrast next to the cement buildings of the city. |
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| Cheomseongdae is the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia.
Constructed during the reign of Queen Seon-deok (632-647), it was used for observing the stars in order to forecast the weather. |
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| Hiking Mt. Namsan was the most tiring activity of our vacation, but it was by far my favorite. It is home to many temples and shrines and was considered sacred by many during the Silla Dynasty. |
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| Mt. Namsan is a veritable open-air museum with 100 temples, 80 stone Buddha statues, and 60 stone pagodas scattered across the mountain. |
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| Enjoying the grass in the middle of the city. We don't have as much in Cheongju! |
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