As the host of the 2013 Istanbul-Gyeongju Culture EXPO, Gyeongsangbuk-do's Korea Silk Road project is moving full speed ahead. The “Silk Road Long March” which is one of the core projects has attracted great attention. This is the first time that the metropolitan council has taken on a project in concert with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The exhibition involves more than 100 people consisting of university students, historians, and a team of performing artists who will stress the point that the eastern end of the Silk Road was not Xian, China but Gyeongju. They will depart from the Gyeongju Expo Park on March 13th, looking back at the historic sites of the Silla Kingdom from Weihai to Yeongpa, China and arrive at Xian, China on April 4th. In July, they will walk along the road for about 14,000km. They plan to put up a flag in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey in time for the EXPO on August 31st. This project is expected to shed light on the culture of Silla, which is the matrix of Korean culture, and help economic expansion through brisk international commerce with other leading countries.