Queen Seondeok who laid the foundation for unification

The tomb in front of you is the tomb of Queen Seondeok.

The queen who is buried here came to the throne after his father who had no son.
As the first woman ruler of Silla, she faced resistance from the male-dominated court.
But overcoming all the obstacles, she laid a firm foundation for unifying other kingdoms around Silla.

Throughout her reign, she was confronted with a lot of hardships both at home and abroad.
Threats from other kingdoms surrounding Silla continued, and resistance from the Silla nobility hindered her effort to establish her authority as a ruler.
And at the end of her reign, some aristocrats even staged an uprising against her.

To tackle these numerous challenges, she promoted Buddhism and built many Buddhist temples as a political strategy to strengthen royal power.
Bunwhang Temple and Hwangnyong Temple in Gyeongju were built during her reign.

As such, the queen used Buddhism as the basis of her rule, and increased Silla's power by appointing competent people in positions of authority.
The two heroes of Silla's unification, Kim Chun-chu and Kim Yu-shin, were also close associates of the queen.
With their help, the Queen paved the way for overcoming difficulties and unifying the peninsula.

Queen Seondeok led the kingdom wisely in the midst of turbulent times. Historical records have stories testifying to her wisdom.

Now, shall we listen to the story while walking around the tomb?