centre of
Korean Buddhism. East of the downtown
area lies
Bulguksa, one of South
Korea's largest Buddhist temples; nearby is Seokguram, a famed Buddhist shrine.
Traditional prayer locations are found on mountains throughout Gyeongju. Such
mountains include
Namsan
near the city center,
Danseok-san and Obong-san in the west,
and the low peak of Hyeong-san on the Gyeongju-Pohang border.
Namsan in particular is often referred
to as "the sacred mountain" due to the Buddhist shrines and statues
which cover its slopes.
In
addition, Gyeongju is the birthplace of Cheondoism, an indigenous religion to
Korea based on
Korean shamanism,
Taoism
and Korean Buddhism, with elements
drawn from
Christianity. The
religion has been evolved from
Donghak
(lit. East learning) disciplines
established by
Choe Je-u. His
birthplace of
Yongdamjeong,
located in
Hyeongok-myeon, is
regarded as a sacred place to followers of Cheondogyo.
