> Source: https://worldmuseumguide.org/guides/gyeongju/gyeongju-national-museum/ — updated 2026-09-25. Markdown mirror generated at build time from the same content as the HTML page. Title: Gyeongju National Museum: Where the Silla Capital Is Kept

Museum · Gyeongju

# Gyeongju National Museum

What the ground around Gyeongju gives back, the Gyeongju National Museum keeps. Its galleries hold the gold crowns, Buddhist bronzes and everyday objects of the Silla capital — the movable counterpart to the tombs, temples and observatory you walk among outdoors. It is the natural place to end a tour of the [living museum of Gyeongju](https://worldmuseumguide.org/guides/gyeongju-silla-heritage/).

## From the tombs to the galleries

Many of the museum’s greatest objects were excavated a short distance away. The Silla History Gallery gathers the **gold crowns, girdles and ornaments** lifted from the great mounded tombs of the city centre, worked in thin sheet gold hung with jade comma-beads. The Silla Art Gallery follows the kingdom’s Buddhist sculpture and metalwork, while the Wolji Gallery displays the thousands of finds — lacquer, gilt-bronze fittings, a wooden die for drinking games — dredged from the palace pond of Donggung and Wolji.

## The Divine Bell of King Seongdeok

In the grounds hangs the museum’s most famous object: the **Divine Bell of King Seongdeok**, cast in bronze in 771 AD and known popularly as the *“Emille Bell.”* The largest surviving bell of ancient Korea, it is decorated with flying heavenly figures (*bicheon*) and long dedicatory inscriptions, and is renowned for the deep, lingering tone that gives rise to its haunting founding legend.

## Signature holdings

| Object | Designation |
| --- | --- |
| Divine Bell of King Seongdeok (“Emille Bell”) The largest surviving ancient Korean bronze bell, cast 771 AD, displayed in the museum grounds. | No. 29 |
| Silla gold crowns Sheet-gold crowns and girdles from the royal tombs, including finds from the Heavenly Horse Tomb. | National Treasures |
| Wolji (Anapji) collection Thousands of objects recovered from the Silla palace pond, from gilt-bronze fittings to a games die. | Palace finds |

Korean National Treasure designations. Opening hours and admission change seasonally — confirm with the site before you travel.

Part of the Gyeongju Silla Heritage guide

[Pillar guide The Living Museums of Gyeongju The full overview of Silla-era Gyeongju.](https://worldmuseumguide.org/guides/gyeongju-silla-heritage/) · [Also in this guide Bulguksa Temple Visiting Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju: the cloud bridges, the Dabotap and Seokgatap pagodas, and why this Silla masterpiece is UNESCO World Heritage.](https://worldmuseumguide.org/guides/gyeongju/bulguksa-temple/) · [Also in this guide The Seokguram Grotto Visiting the Seokguram Grotto above Gyeongju: the granite dome, the seated Buddha facing the East Sea, and its UNESCO-listed Silla statuary.](https://worldmuseumguide.org/guides/gyeongju/seokguram-grotto/)

## Continue exploring

[Seoul, South Korea National Museum of Korea The national collection in Seoul, where Silla sits within the whole span of Korean art.](https://worldmuseumguide.org/museums/national-museum-of-korea/) · [Country guide Museums in South Korea Every museum we cover across the country, from Seoul to the south coast.](https://worldmuseumguide.org/countries/south-korea/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the Gyeongju National Museum best known for?

Its Silla-era holdings: the gold crowns from the royal tombs and the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok — the “Emille Bell” — the largest surviving bronze bell of ancient Korea, displayed in the grounds.

### Should I visit the museum before or after the heritage sites?

Either works, but many visitors find the objects most meaningful after walking the tombs, Cheomseongdae and the temples — the museum then reads as the place where those monuments’ contents are kept.

### How does it relate to the National Museum of Korea in Seoul?

The Gyeongju National Museum tells the Silla story in depth on its home ground, while the National Museum of Korea in Seoul places Silla within a national overview spanning all of Korean history.

[← Back to the Gyeongju Silla Heritage guide](https://worldmuseumguide.org/guides/gyeongju-silla-heritage/)