The city of Gyeongju was once the capital of the Korean peninsula. It was the heart of the Shilla Empire (57 B.C. - 935 A.D.) and at one time home to around one million people. In the downtown area of Gyeongju, just a short walk from Wolseong Fortress where the palace of the Shilla Kingdom was located, you can find Anapji Pond.
I used to live in Gyeongju when I taught English at a university there. I visited the lake many times, often with my camera trying to get the perfect shot. The lake is lit up at night, and the still lake reflects the buildings perfectly.
The pond was built as a pleasure garden in 674 A.D. during the reign of King Munmu – the ruler who unified the three kingdoms of Korea. The original name of the lake was Wolji which means ‘Moon Pond’. After the fall of the Shilla Kingdom, its original name was forgotten and it was then called Anapji, because of the geese (an) and ducks (ap) which visited the pond (ji).
The pond was originally surrounded by 26 buildings which were used to entertain royal guests. Three of these buildings were rebuilt in 1980, including Imhaejeon or ‘Beside the Sea Pavilion’.
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When the pond was dredged in 1975, 30,000 relics were found. The highlight was a 14 sided wooden die that was used for drinking games. Whoever threw the die had to do what was inscribed on the top of the die when it stopped, such as ‘drink a glass of wine and laugh out loud’ or ‘drink three glasses of wine’.
If you ever get the chance to visit South Korea, I recommend that you take a tour of Gyeongju, as there is much to see and do, with the highlight being Anapji at night.
All photos taken by me. Check out more of my photography here: https://www.dreamstime.com/Mfharrison_portfolio_pg1#res2530922
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