Waching daily Jan 31 2017

Tourism is a sizeable source of income for Korea's cultural capital of Gyeongju.

So the city is developing new ways to pass on its magnificent cultural assets from more

than a thousand years back to the next generation.

Oh Soo-young gives us a tour in our news feature tonight.

Hwangnyongsa History and Culture Center, Gyeongju

ZEROON "Hello "

Every year, the city of Gyeongju attracts millions of tourists with its numerous cultural

attractions, from traditional hanok houses and elaborate sculptures to magnificent Buddhist

temples.

Singyeongju Station, Gyeongju

A mere two hours south of Seoul on the KTX bullet train,... the former capital of the

Silla Kingdom is known as a "museum without walls."

"In recent years, however, the city has ventured beyond its traditional tourist hotspots to

develop new and sustainable attractions.

And that's what I'm here to see today."

Hwangnyongsa Temple Site, Gyeongju

Just a five-minute drive from the city center,... lies the remains of the biggest Buddhist temple

built in the Silla Dynasty.

Hwangnyongsa Temple was built in 569 AD, during the apex of the dynasty.

The nine-story pagoda beside it, at 80 meters high,

was the tallest structure in Asia at the time -- a testimony to the kingdom's unity and

strength.

However, the entire site was burned to the ground during the Mongolian invasion in the

mid 12-hundreds, leaving only a few stones remaining.

Efforts to restore the temple site began in the late 1970s and continue to this date.

"Considering the sheer size of Hwangnyongsa Temple, we will begin by restoring the southern

gate starting next year.

Once we acquire enough historical evidence, we will restore the nine-story tower and the

main hall."

A stone's throw away, there's a recently opened cultural center to promote these restoration

efforts.

A scale model of the nine-story pagoda stands in the hall.

It's a tenth of the actual size, but the details are remarkably meticulous.

"Over eight years, based on historical records of the tower and other relics, the model restored

the original's details to the fullest."

The center exhibits key artifacts from more than 40-thousand relics dug up from the site.

Among them is the Challjubongi, a historical text that gives account of how the temple

was built and maintained.

And this piece played an important role in the restoration efforts.

A digital display offers a view from the balcony 13 centuries ago, featuring rows of quaint

hanok houses against a serene mountainous backdrop.

More than a flashback of the past, it is rather a vision of what could be, once the site is

restored to its former glory.

"Sociocultural sustainability also includes restoring what existed only in old texts and

materializing such relics for future generations.

Being able to touch and experience something is a completely different experience than

just seeing it through text.

So restoration work through historical research ultimately helps Gyeongju further instill

its cultural identity."

Gyeongju East Palace Garden, Gyeongju

West of the city center, huge hanok houses made of glass impose their presence.

It's a modern-day take on the East Palace and Wolji Pond, where rare plants, birds and

animals were raised for the first time in Korea, according to historical records.

Inside the botanical gardens, there is a jungle of more than 4-hundred plant types from all

over the world.

Eccentric flowers and plants from tropical countries put an exotic spin on the otherwise

traditional setting.

There are traces of history everywhere, like a mini palatial pond and lotus engravings

on the paths.

Crossing over to the Bird Park, visitors can find more than 200 types of birds, from ducks

and parrots to flamingos and toucans.

Snakes, badgers and other creatures can also be spotted.

The complex is the first and biggest experiential zoo and garden in the country, a place to

enjoy and interact with nature's finest as our ancestors did for the first time in this

city.

"Two years and five months into our opening in September 2013, we hit one million visitors,

so that's around 400-thousand a year.

Because of its popularity, a second botanical and zoo complex will be built."

"Diverse and authentic cultural experiences bring more tourists to a region, which spurs

local spending and, eventually, invigorates the local economy.

So restoration projects with a modern twist, like the Gyeongju East Palace Garden, play

a vital role in that sense."

Reviving its glorious past, the city of Gyeongju is building up new landmarks to further enhance

its role as the capital of Korea's cultural heritage.

Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

For more infomation >> Gyeongju seeks sustainable ways to grow as city of cultural heritage - Duration: 5:06.

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Korea calls on Japan to withdraw plans to include false claim over Dokdo in teachers' guideline - Duration: 1:52.

Korea's Foreign Ministry made clear Japan's false sovereignty claims over Dokdo is 'intolerable'.

Kwon Soa has Seoul's response to recent media reports of Tokyo's revised educational guidelines

which includes such historic and geographical distortion.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry called on the Japanese government to immediately withdraw its wrongful

territorial claim over Korea's easternmost Dokdo island,... as Tokyo reportedly aims

to include such groundless claims in its revision of a teachers' guideline for elementary and

middle school textbooks.

The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported over the weekend, that Tokyo's education ministry

is expected to make it an obligation to teach students that "Takeshima", the Japanese name

for Dokdo is controlled by Japan,... beginning 2020.

"If Japan's plan materializes as has been reported through media, the Korean government's

stance is, that it won't tolerate Japan's unjustified claim over Dokdo,... which is

our integral territory."

The ministry's spokesperson Cho June-hyuck added that Seoul has numerously delivered

Korea's position to Japan,... including this time.

However, on questions regarding possible countermeasures,... Cho said at this point the government is closely

watching the situation,... as the Japanese government has not made an official decision

on the revision yet.

The foreign ministry also criticized Japanese officials' continuous sovereignty claims,...

and urged for an immediate halt to such attempts at falsely promoting Dokdo.

The ministry added that Korea and Japan have always faced difficult problems,...

...which is why Seoul must maintain a firm standpoint against Tokyo's repeated false

claims, while continuously making efforts to bring a stable development of bilateral

ties.

Kwon Soa, Arirang News.