This is a very popular spot for couples to take pre-wedding photos, especially from June to early August when magnificent lotus blossoms seem to fill the horizon of this small pond. In the past, this was a pleasure garden to commemorate the unification of the Korean Peninsula under Silla; the east palace (Donggung) was here. The buildings burned in 935 and many relics ended up in the pond itself, to be rediscovered only when it was drained for repair in 1975.
Thousands of well-preserved relics were found including wooden objects, a die used in drinking games, scissors and a royal barge – you can see them in the Gyeongju National Museum. Several reconstructed pavilions have been converted to exhibition spaces displaying objects associated with the temple and the pond, while the grounds make a pleasant place for a stroll. The name Anapji Pond means 'Goose and Duck Pond'.
