Cheomseongdae Observatory첨성대

At a glance

Cheomseongdae is thought to have been built in the reign of Queen Seondeok, Silla's 27th ruler, and is one of Gyeongju's signature landmarks. On a square base rises a bottle-shaped body of 27 courses of curved stones, capped by a frame of long stones in the shape of the character 井; the whole stands about 9 m high. A window faces southeast: below it the tower is filled with rubble, above it hollow to the top, and observers probably climbed a ladder to the window and then went up inside. Its numbers are read as symbols, with about 365 stones for the days of the year and 27 courses for the 27th ruler, Queen Seondeok.

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Cheomseongdae Observatory · 4 tours & tickets

1. KKdayGyeongju heritage day tour from DaeguA 9-hour day tour from Daegu hotels: Bulguksa, Daereungwon, Cheomseongdae, Gyochon Village, Woljeonggyo and Hwangnidan-gil.Book
2. GetYourGuideGyeongju private night taxi tourA 2.5-hour private night taxi tour from your Gyeongju hotel: Cheomseongdae, Woljeong Bridge and Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond.Book
3. KlookGyeongju one-day tour from BusanA day tour from Busan with a driver-guide, visiting Seokguram, Bulguksa, Cheomseongdae, Daereungwon and Hwangnidan-gil, and Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond; admission is included.Book
4. GetYourGuideGyeongju UNESCO World Heritage tour from BusanA 10–11-hour tour from Busan: Bulguksa, Yangdong Folk Village, Daereungwon, Cheomseongdae, Woljeong Bridge and Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond.Book

Places to stay nearby

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Map

Numbers match the list. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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Tips

• 01
  Cheomseongdae sits between Daereungwon (about 700 m northwest) and Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond (about 900 m east), so the three make an easy walk, ideally ending at the pond after dark.
• 02
  The fields around it are planted with flowers that change with the seasons.

Nearby

Woljeonggyo BridgeA rebuilt Silla-era wooden bridge over the Muncheon stream, with gate towers at both ends and open until 22:00 for the night lights.Gyochon Traditional VillageA hanok quarter on the site of Silla's first national academy, home to the Choi family house and next to Woljeonggyo Bridge.Daereungwon Tomb ComplexGrassy Silla royal mounds in the heart of Gyeongju, where you can step inside Cheonmachong tomb; free to walk and open until 22:00.Hwangnidan-gilGyeongju's café-and-shop quarter: 1960s–70s low-rise buildings now filled with cafés, small shops and restaurants, close to the royal tombs.