Dear global members of AMOREPACIFIC Group, have you heard of Gyeongju? It's a historic city situated in Gyeongsangbuk-do, which is in the southeastern part of Korea. Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla, which lasted for over 1,000 years from 57 B.C. through 935 B.C. Thanks to the pivotal role it played in supporting the resplendent civilization of the Silla Kingdom, it has been dubbed the city with a thousand years of history. It is also known as a city of gold famed for its excellent artisanship and splendid, gold accessories. It is not stretching it to say that the whole city is in fact one big museum – a treasure-trove of artifacts and remains that tell the story of its long and glorious history. Last weekend, I took advantage of the splendid autumn weather to visit Gyeongju.

Within a short-walking distance of the Royal Tomb of the King Munmu, there is a columnar joint named Buchaebawi Rock (부채바위). Unlike other columnar joints that rise perpendicular to the ground, Buchaebawi Rock is developed in the form of a fan, in the horizontal direction, which makes it valuable source of studying the cooling process of volcanic rock and its properties. Columnar jointing is a magnificent geographic structure that forms as hot lava is cooled by the sea. It differs in shape and direction depending on how fast the lava cools down.

What do you think the cute, chimney-like structure in the picture was built to do? It is in fact an astronomical observatory built to observe the stars. Estimated to be built in 632 A.D., the observatory played a key role in observing the stars and determining the best time to sow seeds and harvest crops. People used to observe and measure the extent of the shadow made by the light coming in through the observatory window to determine the beginning of the four seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter. Though it is much smaller than the observatories of today, it functioned as much more than an observatory, since people prayed with the building's construction to augment the prosperity of farmers and bring about a flourishing time of agriculture, which was the basis of national wealth at that time.

Bulguksa Temple (불국사) is one of the many tourist attractions in Gyeongju that looks resplendent in the fall, surrounded by the rich reds and yellows of the leaves. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bulguksa Temple is known for its tumultuous past, with it having been broken down and rebuilt many times since it was first constructed back in 500 B.C. While many parts have been lost and rebuilt over its long history, it remains the undisputed masterpiece of the Silla Kingdom. Its astonishing beauty, balance, sophistication and exquisite style enable all parts of the building to stand in harmony.