The city of Gyeongju, whose origins date from prehistoric times, was the capital during the Silla Kingdom (57 BC - 935 AD).
In the city and its surroundings there are many historic sites, dating in particular from the 7th to the 10th centuries, like temples, palaces, pagodas, royal mounds (tombs), fortress, as well as statues and reliefs of Buddha. Due to the large amount of historic sites it is considered as an open air museum.