Daereungwon Tomb Complex (Cheonmachong)

In the heart of the city, rising like green hills, lie the tombs of Silla kings and nobles from fifteen centuries ago — this is Daereungwon.

With 23 great mounds tracing soft curves across broad lawns, it is Silla’s largest tomb cluster. One of them, Cheonmachong, has been reconstructed and opened after excavation, letting you see the distinctive Silla burial structure — stone and earth heaped over a wooden chamber — and the gold crown and gold ornaments found inside. The tomb takes its name from a painting of a heavenly flying horse found on a mudguard buried with it.

With no walls separating them, the spaces of the living and the dead flow naturally together — a landscape that reveals the Silla worldview, in which a dead king was enshrined like a mountain.

For Koreans, Daereungwon is the image that comes to mind at the word “Gyeongju,” and the place to meet the real “Silla gold crown” from the textbooks.

Honestly, though, most mounds can only be seen from the outside — only Cheonmachong can actually be entered — and the grounds are wide with little shade in summer.

The grassy path between two mounds and its magnolia tree are Gyeongju’s most popular photo spot, so aim for a quiet early morning. Cheomseongdae and Hwangnidan-gil are within walking distance.

Hours are 09:00-22:00 (Cheonmachong interior until 21:30), open year-round, and admission is free.