Gyeongju's Haeparang Trail, where visitors can encounter natural and historical landmarks such as columnar joints and the Underwater Tomb of King Munmu, is establishing itself as a representative walking destination on Korea's East Coast.
The trail offers tourists a distinctive travel experience, allowing them to enjoy the pleasure of walking and experience history and culture at the same time.
According to Gyeongju City on the 27th, the Haeparang Trail is a leading long-distance walking route in Korea, running along the East Coast from Oryukdo in Busan to Goseong in Gangwon Province.
The Gyeongju section draws visitors throughout all four seasons, with the blue East Sea, strangely shaped rocks, natural monuments, and Silla-era historical heritage all coming together.
The Yangnam Columnar Joints are a natural monument formed when lava, erupted by volcanic activity tens of millions of years ago, cooled. Visitors can see magnificent columnar joints in various forms—vertical, fan-shaped, and radial—all in one place.
The Underwater Tomb of King Munmu, located in the waters off Bonggil Beach in Munmudaewang-myeon, is Korea's only underwater tomb, said to be the underwater royal tomb of King Munmu, the 30th ruler of Silla, who achieved the great task of unifying the Three Kingdoms.
King Munmu is said to have left a wish to become a dragon of the East Sea and protect the nation even after his death.
"The Gyeongju section of the Haeparang Trail, which embraces the Yangnam Columnar Joints and the Underwater Tomb of King Munmu, is a representative tourism resource of Gyeongju where one can encounter beautiful nature and a thousand years of history together," said Seo Eun-suk, Gyeongju City's public relations officer. "We will actively develop differentiated tourism content to widely promote the appeal of Gyeongju as a historical and cultural tourism city."
