Cheomseongdae

Cheomseongdae

The observatory is the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in the East. It was built during the reign of Queen Seondeok, the 27th ruler of the Silla Dynasty (AD 632–646), and was used to observe cloud formations and constellations in the sky. Cheomseongdae is a stone structure featuring a harmonious combination of straight and curved lines. On December 20, 1962, it was designated as National Treasure No. 31. Cheomseongdae is cylindrical in shape, constructed by stacking 362 stones, each about 30 cm in size, across 27 layers. At 4.16 meters above the base, there is a square door, one meter on each side, with remnants of a ladder placement visible beneath it. The interior is filled with earth up to the 12th layer. At the 19th, 20th, 25th, and 26th layers, there are square-shaped long stones arranged in a well-like pattern, with their ends extending outward from the observatory. Cheomseongdae stands 9.17 meters tall, and the base stones measure 5.35 meters on each side. At that time, people used the stars to determine the 24 solar terms such as the vernal equinox, autumnal equinox, winter solstice, and summer solstice, and the well-shaped stones are believed to have served as reference points for indicating the cardinal directions. The observatory was built using 362 stones, symbolizing the number of days in a lunar year.

Transportation 1. Turn left from Gyeongju Station and walk to a T-junction. Continue straight past the T-junction for 15–20 minutes. 2. Take Bus 70 (every 7 minutes) from across from Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal and get off at the Daereungwon Entrance, then walk for 3 minutes. 3. From Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal, Intercity Bus Terminal, or Gyeongju Station (in front of the post office), take Bus 10 or 11 (every 10 minutes) and get off at Wolseong-dong Office (Daereungwon Entrance), then walk 5 minutes. 4. Taking a taxi from the intercity bus terminal takes about 5 minutes.

Details 1. Inquiry: Gyeongju City Hall Cultural Tourism Division +82-54-779-6087 (Korean, English) / Tourism Information +82-54-1330 (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese) 2. Homepage: http://culture.gyeongju.go.kr (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese) 3. Operating Hours: Summer (March–October) 09:00–19:00 / Winter (November–February) 09:00–18:00 4. Closed: Open all year round 5. Admission Fee: Category | Adult (KRW) | Youth (KRW) | Child (KRW) Individual | 500 | 300 | 200 Group (30 or more) | 300 | 200 | 150 *Children: Free for seniors over 65 and children under 6

Location: Inwang-dong, Gyeongju-si, North Gyeongsang Province

Ticket Price: 500

Opening Hours: 09:00 – 19:00

Gyeongju, South Korea