"See the Silla Gold Crowns": Open Run Craze in Gyeongju... Exhibition Extended Until February Next Year

Six Silla Gold Crowns Reunited After 104 Years
26,608 Visitors in Just Ten Days

The special exhibition at the National Gyeongju Museum, which drew significant attention by bringing together all six Silla gold crowns in one place for the first time in approximately 104 years, will extend its run until February next year due to overwhelming interest.

On the 27th of last month, the Silla gold crown was unveiled at the press preview of the special exhibition "Silla Gold Crown, Power and Prestige," held at the National Gyeongju Museum in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the museum's opening and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 13th, the National Gyeongju Museum announced that the special exhibition "Silla Gold Crown, Power and Prestige" will be extended by 72 days, from the original end date of December 14 to February 22 of next year.

This special exhibition showcases a total of 20 artifacts, including gold crowns and gold belts that symbolize Silla. Since the first gold crown was discovered in 1921 at a tomb in Noseo-dong, Gyeongju (later named the Geumgwanchong Tomb), this marks the first time in about 104 years that all six gold crowns have been displayed together in a single exhibition.

Planned to commemorate the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Gyeongju last month and the 80th anniversary of the museum's opening, the exhibition has seen a surge in visitors since public viewing began on the 2nd of this month, resulting in an "open run" phenomenon. Currently, the number of visitors is limited to 150 per session and a total of 2,550 per day on weekdays.

On the 3rd, visitors lined up in front of the Silla History Hall at the National Gyeongju Museum to see the Silla gold crown. Photo by Yonhap News

From the 2nd to the 11th of this month, the exhibition attracted a cumulative total of 26,608 visitors over ten days. To meet the high demand, the museum plans to introduce an online reservation system starting on the 17th.

In addition to distributing admission tickets on-site, up to 70 visitors per session will be able to reserve tickets online, with reservations for the following week opening every Monday at 10 a.m. Online reservations can be made through the National Gyeongju Museum website. On-site tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the museum’s main entrance starting at 9:20 a.m. each day.

Yoon Sangdeok, Director of the National Gyeongju Museum, stated, "We decided to extend the exhibition period so that more people can experience the golden culture of Silla in a comfortable environment," adding, "Visitors from across the country will now be able to visit a bit more conveniently."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.