Spring at Bulguksa Temple flows along the grain of quiet time. Clear sunlight filters between the stone steps and temple pavilions of this ancient temple, and fresh green new growth adds vitality to a thousand-year-old landscape. During APEC, the spouses of leaders from participating nations also rested in this same stillness. They enjoyed elegant tea confections and ujeon green tea in a tea ceremony, and fell into quiet meditation amid the reverberations of the temple bell tower. It was a moment of encountering the deep resonance of Korean Buddhist culture in a mountain temple where the breath of tradition still lives.

When spring arrives, the scenery of Bomun Tourist Complex becomes softer. Cherry blossoms open around the lake, and sky and trees are reflected in the calm surface of the water. During the day, walkers come and go in a steady stream, and as the sun sets and the lights come on, an entirely different landscape begins.
On the night of the 2025 APEC Leaders’ Summit, leaders from around the world also paused for a moment before this lake. The night view and quiet ripples of Bomun Lake harmonizing with the city’s lights was yet another face of Gyeongju. That night at Bomun Tourist Complex, with a modern landscape layered over a thousand years of history, became a scene long remembered.

The Gyeongju APEC Trail
The APEC venues in Gyeongju, where world leaders gathered, have been reimagined as a new travel course. The Gyeongju APEC Trail, developed by the Gyeongbuk Cultural Tourism Corporation, is a story-based tour that follows the key places of the Silla royal capital, beginning at Gyeongju National Museum, where the Korea-U.S. and Korea-China summit meetings were held, and continuing through Daereungwon Tomb Complex, Cheomseongdae Observatory, Gyochon Village, Woljeonggyo Bridge, and Hwangnidangil. Reservations are available through designated domestic travel agencies.

The field where Cheomseongdae Observatory is located is a place that shows the sweep of Gyeongju’s time beneath a wide-open sky. In spring, fresh green spreads through the blades of grass, and the leaves sway gently in the breeze. At the center of it all, Cheomseongdae Observatory stands unchanged. Built during the Silla era for astronomical observation, this structure recorded the movements of the sky and the changing of the seasons. The gaze that once traced the movements of stars and the moon has endured here throughout the centuries. The landscape has changed many times over, but the symbolic presence remains clear. It reveals the beauty of ancient architecture in harmony with the open field during the day, and creates an altogether different atmosphere in the soft glow of lighting at night.
Last autumn, when the footsteps of the world converged on Gyeongju, this site served as a special stage. The court performance “Yeongyeongdang in History”, featuring traditional court rites, dance, and music, was held in the area around Cheomseongdae Observatory. Ancient heritage and contemporary performance were naturally combined. That night, as the resonance of culture rang out from the very place where the stars were once watched, Gyeongju’s history and culture came together in a scene that will be remembered for a long time.

A market is the place where a city’s everyday life is most clearly revealed. Broth simmers in large pots, and fresh ingredients are laid out in stalls. Vendors prepare food with practiced, familiar hands, and customers naturally stop walking. It is not only goods that pass through here. Vendors and regulars exchange greetings, and travelers pause to try something new. The old signboards and alley scenery show the market’s own passage of time. When you walk through the market, the life of the city comes to you naturally.
During the APEC Summit, Jungang Market received a notable visit of its own. Chief Executive of Hong Kong John Lee and his spouse toured the alleyways and exchanged greetings with vendors. Word has it that after tasting someorigukbap (beef head meat and rice soup), they marveled at its depth of flavor. This anecdote remained among the market community for a long time. With no special preparations needed, the market welcomed its guests as it always does. The food has been passed down over many years, and the hands that have always prepared it create the alleyway’s atmosphere. Jungang Market is another face of Gyeongju, where the city’s everyday life goes on.