This site was located at Gyeongju’s highest point. The Namcheon River formed a natural barrier on one side and wide ditches were dug to the north, east and west to prevent invasion.
King Pasa, the fifth king of the Silla Dynasty moved the capital here and built a castle in 101 AD. It served as the dynasty’s central palace until its fall in 935 AD. Surrounding the palace was Donggung Palace, several temples, Cheomseongdae observatory and many large royal tombs.
Only the stone outlines of twenty-three buildings from the Unified Silla period remained. Some of the structures had been pavilions, government offices and even an ice storage facility during the Joseon Dynasty.
The site was fenced off because excavations were in progress and I could only walk its perimeter.
