Gyerim Forest, Gyeongju

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Gyerim Forest in Gyeongju is a woodland steeped in the legend of Kim Al-ji, the progenitor of the Kim clan. The forest is lush with ancient trees and is located between Cheomseongdae and Wolseong. In the Silla Kingdom, the throne was alternately occupied by members of three royal clans: Park, Seok, and Kim. Kim Al-ji is recognized as the founder of the Kim clan. Gyerim Forest in Gyeongju, which exudes a mysterious atmosphere, is the place where the legend of Kim Al-ji’s birth began. According to the Samguk Sagi (Historical Records of the Three Kingdoms), the story goes as follows: One night, King Talhae heard the crowing of a rooster from a forest west of Geumseong. The next morning, he sent his servant Hogong to investigate. Upon reaching the forest, Hogong discovered a golden chest hanging from a tree branch, with a white rooster crowing beneath it. When King Talhae was informed of this, he ordered the chest to be brought to him. Inside the chest was a baby boy. Believing that the heavens had sent him a son, King Talhae took the child in and raised him. He named the boy Al-ji, meaning "child born from an egg," and gave him the surname Kim (金), derived from the golden chest. This forest, which existed since the founding of the Silla Kingdom, was originally called Silla's Birth Forest (Sirim, 始林). However, after the child was born, it was renamed Gyerim (鷄林), meaning "Forest where a Rooster Crowed. "