Mangdeok-sa

Gyeongju


This vast Silla-era temple complex is spread across an open field, its origin filled with legend and rumour. One tale tells that the pagoda once swayed to warn of a coming rebellion.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Gyeongju attractions

1. Gyeongju National Museum

0.63 MILES

Arguably the best history museum in Korea, the Gyeongju National Museum is where you can appreciate the significance of this ancient city in one fell…

2. Ongnyong-am

0.69 MILES

In the upper corner of this hermitage are boulders covered with Korea’s greatest collection of relief carvings. The 24 different representations of Buddha…

3. Tapgol

0.71 MILES

Known as Pagoda Valley, but the biggest draw of Tapgol is the hermitage Ongnyong-am and its Buddha carvings.

4. Bori-sa

0.82 MILES

This beautifully reconstructed nunnery is set amid old-growth trees.

5. Sangseon-am Hermitage

0.83 MILES

At this hermitage you’ll find lovely views across the valley and maybe a monk chanting.

6. Banwol-seong

0.91 MILES

A few minutes’ walk south through the trees from Cheomseongdae, Banwol-seong is the site of a once-fabled fortress. Now it’s attractive parkland, where…

7. Anapji Pond

0.95 MILES

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…

8. Hwangnyong-sa Site

1.13 MILES

The ruins of this simply vast 6th century temple are a sad and desolate spectacle: once the nation's largest Buddhist temple, its standout feature was a…