Silla Gold Crowns Draw Global Attention Years After APEC
Creatrip Team
6 months ago
Interest in ancient Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.–A.D. 935) gold crowns has surged in Gyeongju after a replica was presented to U.S. President Donald Trump. The National Museum of Gyeongju said it will hold a major Silla gold crown exhibition every 10 years, with the next scheduled for 2035. The current special exhibition, “Silla Gold Crowns: Power and Prestige,” displayed six Silla crowns and six gold belts together for the first time, attracting about 2,561 visitors daily and more than 250,000 total; the run was extended due to high demand. To protect artifacts and manage crowds, the museum used 30-minute timed entry slots, online reservations, and capped daily admissions. Related exhibitions will travel domestically to Yangsan and Cheongdo and internationally to Paris (Musée Guimet) and Shanghai, as part of efforts to promote Silla history and K-culture (Korean popular and traditional culture). The museum plans broader comparative displays of ceremonial gold headgear beyond the traditional diadem-style crown, known as daegwan (a Silla royal crown type).
