Gyeongju

**Gyeongju** (경주) is a coastal city in the southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city in the province. It is  large, with 269,343 people living in the city, according to the 2008 census. From southeast, Gyeongju is  away from Seoul, and from the east,  away from the provincial capital, Daegu. Cheongdo and Yeongcheon are on the west side of the city. Ulsan is to the south side, and Pohang is to the north. On the east there is the coast of the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Many low mountains are around the city. They are part of the Taebaek range.

Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 BC – 935 AD). Silla ruled most of the Korean Peninsula between the 7th and 9th centuries, and many archaeological sites from that time are still in the city. This is why Gyeongju is often called "the museum without walls".
For example, Gyeongju Historic Areas and Yangdong Folk Village were made World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The many important historical sites have helped Gyeongju become one of the most popular places in Korea for tourists.

In 1995, the city of Gyeongju and Gyeongju County were put together. There are 53 other small and medium-sized cities with about 300,000 or less people in South Korea. Today, Gyeongju is not only influenced by its history–it is influenced by the economic, demographic and social changes in South Korean culture. Its economy is mostly based on tourism. Manufacturing has also developed because Gyeogju is near large industrial cities such as Ulsan and Pohang. It is also connected to railways and highways that are often used by tourists.

## References

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## Other websites

- Gyeongju City Government website
- Gyeongju City Council website
- Gyeongju City-Transportation System website

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Gyeongju
- **native name**: 경주
- **native name lang**: Korean
- **settlement type**: Municipal City
- **translit lang1**: Korean
- **translit lang1 type1**: Hangul
- **translit lang1 info1**: 경주시
- **translit lang1 type2**: Hanja
- **translit lang1 info2**: 慶州市
- **translit lang1 info3**: Gyeongju-si
- **translit lang1 info4**: Kyŏngju-si
- **image skyline**: Korea-Gyeongju-City Hall.jpg
- **imagesize**: 280px
- **image caption**: Gyeongju City Hall
- **image alt**: A collection of six photographs of famous things in Gyeongju. The first row shows tumuli and trees. The second row consists of three images; from left to right, a stone observatory, a seated stone Buddha statue, and a modern glass tower are arranged. At right on the third row, a photo of a colorful wooden building with a stone bridges is shown. At left, a pavilion reflecting the image on a pond is shown.
- **image map**: Map Gyeongju-si.png
- **map alt**: A region on an east coast is divided into 23 districts, with the southern coastal district highlighted.
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: South Korea
- **subdivision type1**: Region
- **subdivision name1**: North Gyeongsang province
- **population blank1 title**: Dialect
- **population blank1**: Gyeongsang
- **area total km2**: 1324.39
- **population as of**: 2008
- **population total**: 269343
- **population density km2**: 212
- **parts type**: Administrative divisions
- **parts**: 4 _eup_, 8 _myeon_, 11 _dong_, 305 _ri_
- **website**: [http://www.gyeongju.go.kr/eng/main/index.asp gyeongju.go.kr]