By Kwon Mee-yoo
Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province is the next secret weapon of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) to attract more visitors to the charm of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.).
Some 1,000 people — including foreign ambassadors, Korea Tourism supporters, international journalists, famous bloggers, expatriates living in Korea and travel writers — participated in the “Gyeongju Tourism Renaissance” held on Saturday and Sunday.
At a meeting for boosting tourism in the ancient city, Lee Charm, the KTO president, said, “Gyeongju is a gemstone, but we have to set the jewel for everyone to see it properly.”
He also said restoration is needed to revive the gorgeousness of the Silla period. “For instance, we have to show the true beauty of Anapji, portraying the high artistry and entertainment culture of the period,” Lee said.
They toured Gyeongju Saturday, visiting Anapji, an artificial pond, the Gyeongju National Museum and Tapgok Maaejosanggun of Mt. Nam.
In the evening, performances featuring Korean traditional dancing were presented and Sayuri Fujita from Japan and Bianca Mobley from the United States from the hit show “Beauty’s Talk” joined the Korea Tourism Supporter.
The participants visited Yangdong Folk Village and Shilla Millennium Park Sunday. Recently, Yangdong Village was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
“We want to shed a new light on Gyeongju, which was one of the most popular tourist attractions in Korea in the 1970s. We will promote tourism in Gyeongju by adding new storytelling about the city,” a KTO official said.