The most spectacular night-time sight in Gyeongju: a restored Silla palace garden with three ornamental islands in an artificial pond, the surviving pavilions reflected in the still water under lights. Originally built in AD 674 as an East Palace garden for banquets and royal recreation, the site was abandoned after the fall of Silla in 935 and gradually submerged until excavation and restoration in the 1970s and 1980s.
The park is good during the day but truly comes alive after dark, when the illuminated pavilions and their reflections in the pond create one of the most photogenic scenes in Korea. Admission around 3,000 won; open until 10pm.