Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage

The Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, where you can see ancient relics that can't be found in ordinary museums

Gyeongju, the millennium capital of the Silla Kingdom, located about an hour from Busan, is known as the open-air museum or roofless museum because of the precious ruins scattered throughout the city, where Silla culture and traditions live on to this day.

The splendid cultural heritage of the ancient capital of Silla excavated in Gyeongju is preserved and exhibited at the National Gyeongju Museum located within the city of Gyeongju, and the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage is responsible for excavating cultural assets and conducting academic research in the Silla cultural sphere in the Gyeongju region.

The Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, located almost halfway between the World Heritage site of Bulguksa Temple on Mt. Toham and Bulguksa Station on the Donghae Nambu Line, started out as the "Michu King Tomb Area Excavation Research Team" established in 1973, and changed its name to the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in August 2005, where it remains to this day.

The Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage is currently excavating the vast Jeoksaem ruins after clearing out residential areas near the Ancient Tombs Park, one of Gyeongju's popular tourist destinations. It is also excavating other sites, including Bunhwangsa Temple, which was built during the Three Kingdoms period when Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla were in conflict; the site of Sitennosa Temple beside National Route 7 on Dongnamsan Mountain in Gyeongju; Wolseong Gaija, known as the remains of the Silla royal palace and located next to the Gyeongju National Museum; and the Silla Royal Capital Ruins, located to the east of Anaptji Pond, which was built as a villa shortly after Silla unified the Three Kingdoms.

All the excavation sites that we see during our trip to Gyeongju are conducted by this institute. You can also view artifacts that cannot be viewed at museums at the National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute's small exhibition hall.

Upon entering the first floor of the research facility, which has a traditional Korean tiled roof, there is an administration office on the left and a small exhibition hall on the right. Admission to the exhibition hall is free, but visitors are generally required to write their name in the guest book in front of the entrance to the exhibition hall before entering.

The institute's exhibition hall is only open on weekdays, Monday through Friday, so it's a good alternative to visiting the Gyeongju National Museum, which is closed on Mondays, and is highly recommended for anyone interested in ancient Korean artifacts!

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Gyeongju National Museum Take a closer look at ancient Silla artifacts! We'll introduce you to the highlights and historical value of the Gyeongju National Museum.