Old capital of South Korea. Part II
Let’s continue our journey to Gyeongju and it’s history…
Goryeo Dynasty
As a result of the war of conquest, the later Baekje state became part of the new large state which was called Goryeo. The city of Gyeongju was losing gradually it’s strength and status of the city, and at the end turned into a typical province. In 940 king Taejo called it Gyeongju, and in the same year it became an administrative center of Yonnam city. It was a period when Gyeongju started to get back it’s power and role. In 987 Gyeongju became an East capital, but it couldn’t keep that status for a long time. One of the main reason was a dissolution of a special body that was engaged in military affairs of the state in the eastern and centera; parts of the country. This happened as a result of a popular rebellion for the reconstruction of Silla.
Joseon Dynasty
In 1392 Joseon dynasty came to the rule. That period was the most favorable for the city of Gyeongju. In connection with the opening of the Great Yonnam Road, which connected Seoul with the port of Tonne (동래), so Gyeongju remained on the sidelines. And in 1601, the capital of the Gyeongsang-do province was changed on the city of Daegu, which today is the 4th largest city in South Korea.
During the Joseon dynasty government, Gyeongju city suffered from numerous attacks by robbers. And in the XIII century, a 9-story wooden pagoda, which is located in the Buddhist temple of Hwangnyongsa or Hwangnyong Temple, was destroyed by the Mongol conquerors. The Imjin war, which started in 1592 and lasted 6 years, finished only in 1598. This wae left its mark in the centuries-old history of the city. The Bulguksa Buddhist Temple (불국사) was badly damaged, and many wooden buildings belonging to the temple were burned out.
