Gyeonggi-do(Hwaseong-si) , suwon

Yungneung (융릉) is the joint tomb of King Jangjo (1735-1762) and Queen Heongyeong (1735-1815). King Jangjo was the father of King Jeongjo, the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty.King Jangjo was the second son of King Yeongjo, the 21st ruler of the Joseon Dynasty. He was installed as a Crown Prince in 1736. As the Crown Prince, he administered the state affairs on behalf of his father and showed great capability in various fields. However, he died in 1762 after being locked in a wooden rice chest on the orders of his father, King Yeongjo.The tomb of this ill-fated Crown Prince was originally located in Baebongsan Mountain located in Yangju-gun, Gyeonggi-do. His son, King Jeongjo moved the tomb to Hwasan Mountain in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do and changed the title of the tomb to Hyeollyungwon (현륭원). Later, he posthumously gave his father the title King Jangjo and moved the tomb to its current place, and the title of the tomb was changed again to Yungneung.Queen Heongyeong was designated as a Crown princess in 1744. In 1795 when she turned 60 and long after her husband died, she wrote Hanjungnok (한중록), the memoirs, which is mainly about the terrible fate of her husband.The Memoirs have great historical significance, and these along with the Tales of Queen Inhyeon (Inhyeon Wanghujeon, 인현왕후전), are highly valued as pieces of royal literature.Yungneung is currently located in Annyeong-dong in Hwaseong. A stone called “Byeongpungseok” surrounds the tomb. On the stone, peony and lotus flowers are engraved. Like other royal tombs, there are two separate spaces – one raised and one lower space. In the raised space, there is the mound, “Honyuseok”, which is a rectangular shaped stone sitting in front of the mound, and 'Mangjuseok,' which is a pair of stones that sit on both sides of the mound. In the lower spaces, there are several stone statues. They include “Muninseok”, a statue of a civil officer, “Muinseok”, a statue of a military officer, and “Seokma”, a statue of a horse.Geolleung (건릉) is the joint tomb of King Jeongjo (1752-1800), the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, and Queen Hyoui (1753-1821).King Jeongjo’s last wish was to be buried near his father’s tomb in Yungneung. King Jeongjo was the second son of King Jangjo and Queen Heongyeong, but in 1759, when he was 8 years old, he was designated as an heir to the throne. During his 24 year-reign, King Jeongjo influenced state affairs by implementing the “Tangpyeongchaek” (탕평책, a policy to balance the power of political factions), and he also had great accomplishments in the area of academic research by creating the “Gyujanggak” (규장각, a national royal library).Queen Hyoui was a daughter of Kim Si Muk and was installed as a partner of the heir to the throne at the age of 10. In 1776, when King Jeongjo ascended the throne, she also became Queen. She is known to have led a frugal life. In 1821, she died without an heir at the age of 69 in Jagyeongjeon, Changgyeonggung Palace.Geolleung looks very similar to Yungneung, but unlike Yungneung, it does not have a “Byeongpungseok”, which is a wide and rectangular stone that surrounds the mound and protects it. Instead, it is surrounded by “Nanganseok”, stone handrails. On every handrail, lotus flowers are engraved. King Jeongjo’s tomb is simpler and less decorated than his father’s, which reflects King Jeongjo’s respect and love for his father. Both Geolleung and Yungneung are designated as Historic Site No. 206.


Gyeonggi-do(Goyang-si) , Ilsan

Seosamneung (서삼릉) is the name of the three royal tombs of Huireung (희릉), Hyoreung (효릉) and Yereung (예릉). It is located in Deokyang-gu in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do province.Huireung (희릉) is the tomb of Queen Janggyeong, the second wife of King Jungjong, the 11th ruler. The tomb is simple, surrounded only by “Nanganseok”, stone railings, but the lotus flowers engraved on the railings make it very pleasant.Hyoreung (효릉) is the name of the tombs of King Injong, the 12th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, and Queen Inseong. The two graves are linked by a railing. The mounds are surrounded by “Byeongpungseok”, which is a wide and rectangular stone border that protects the tomb. The tombstones are engraved with clouds and the twelve animals of the Eastern zodiac.Yereung (예릉) is the name of the tombs of King Cheoljong, the 25th ruler of the Joseon dynasty, and Queen Cheorin. The two graves are linked by a railing.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Gyeongju Yangdong Village (양동마을) is Korea’s largest traditional village, showcasing the traditional culture of the Joseon Dynasty and the beautiful natural surroundings. Thanks to its many cultural heritages, including treasures, national treasures, and folklore materials, the entire village has been designated as a cultural heritage site. Many people have visited this village to see its wealth of cultural heritages and scenic surroundings. Charles, Prince of Wales, visited this village in 1993.Mt. Seolchangsan and its four spines of mountains can be seen beyond the village. Approximately 160 old houses and 500-year-old thatched-roof cottages are nestled within the valley. Fifty-four of these homes, are over 200 years old and have been excellently preserved in their original state, offering a rare opportunity to view a variety of unique Korean traditional houses in person. 


Chungcheongnam-do(Gongju-si)

The Songsan-ri Tombs and Royal Tomb of King Muryeong (reign 462-523) contains representative relics of the Baekje period (234~678). The Songsan-ri Tombs contain the graves of kings from the period when Baekje's capital was Gongju, and it is believed to contain 10 such graves. Only seven graves have been discovered so far.The main attraction of Songsan-ri Tombs is the wall painting drawn on the number six tomb – it is the only art of its kind in the world, created from the way the bricks were laid to create the wall. The tomb is shaped like a long tunnel, the top rounded like a dome. There are pictures of fire-breathing dragons on the tomb. Only the parts of the wall where the pictures were to be drawn had earth coated on, and on that earth was drawn Sasindo, the Four Symbols – blue dragon, white tiger, red peacock, and black turtle.The popular Tomb of King Muryeong is the 7th tomb, and it is the resting place for Baekje's 25th King Mu-Ryeong and his queen. This tomb was discovered accidentally when installing pipes to prevent tombs number 5 and 6 from being flooded. Tomb of King Muryeong was found to be unusual in the way it was built and what it contained. It was built with bricks like the 6th Tomb, and many national treasures were found inside, supplying scholars studying Baekje culture with precious research material. There were 108 kinds of artifacts found inside, totaling 2,906 items altogether. Twelve of these artifacts were designated National Treasures. They are all on display at Gongju National Museum. Some of the representative treasures are the crowns worn by the king and the queen, gold decorations for the crowns, gold earrings, necklaces, bronze mirrors, pillows, and foot rests. Recently the tomb was permanently sealed off to protect the treasures. However, you can look at the miniature of the tomb, an exact duplicate of the original, in the basement of the Gobungun Building.


Incheon(Ganghwa-gun)

Introduction ‘Dolmens’ are stone graves/tombs which date back to the pre-historic era. Dolmens are largely concentrated in Northeast Asia with Korea alone being home to a total of around 30,000 dolmens. The Ganghwa Dolmen Heritage Site, in Bugeun-ri, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, encompasses roughly 120 dolmens, most of which are Northern-style dolmen that are made of large pieces of stone 7.1m in length and 2.6m in height. The dolmens in this region are found in unusual altitudes of 100-200m above sea level and reveal important information about the prehistoric period. The Ganghwa Dolmen site was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage in Nov. 29th, 2000 along with Gochang Dolmen and Hwasun Dolmen sites. You may enjoy the best view of this historic site around sunset. Current Status Historical Site No.137 Closed N/A (Open 365 days a year) Parking Facilities 1,500 spaces Admission Fees Free Facilities for the Handicapped Restrooms Restrooms Available


Gyeongsangnam-do(Hapcheon-gun)

Daejanggyeongpan (the Tripitaka Koreana) is stored inside the four wooden buildings of Janggyeongpanjeon located within the Haeinsa Temple in Gyeongsangnam-do Province. Daejanggyeongpan is the world’s oldest Buddhist canon, and has been designated as the 32nd national treasure of Korea. It is also known as Palman Daejanggyeong (Eighty Thousand Tripitaka), because a total of 84,000 Buddhist scriptures are engraved on some 80,000 wooden printing blocks. The complete collection was made over the period of 16 years starting in 1237 (24th year of King Gojong’s reign) to appeal for spiritual help in overcoming the national crisis of the Mongolian invasions. Janggyeongpanjeon which houses the Tripitaka Koreana was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1995.


Gyeonggi-do(Yeoju-si)

Yeongneung (영릉) is the joint tomb of the 4th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejong (1397-1450, reign 1418-1450) and his wife Queen Soheon (1395-1446). This was the first joint royal tomb of the Joseon Dynasty.King Sejong was the third son of the 3rd ruler, King Taejong, and his wife Queen Wongyeong. He came to the throne at the age of 22. During his 32-year reign, he was very influential in the development of Korean culture. For example, King Sejong created the Korean alphabet, which he called Hunmin Jeongeum, and set up the Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon, 집현전), an association of the kingdom’s brightest scholars. He also used Confucian principles to administer state affairs. Under the reign of King Sejong, therefore, many sectors including politics, economy, society and culture flourished. In fact, King Sejong the Great is regarded as making some of the most brilliant achievements in Korean history.Yeongneung is currently located in Neungseo-myeon in Yeoju-si in Gyeonggi-do, but the tomb was originally located in Seogang, Gwangju. When it was constructed following Queen Soheon’s death in 1446, it was decided it should be a double tomb, and the space on the right side was reserved for King Sejong. In 1450 when King Sejong died, he was buried together with the dead queen. Later, the tomb was moved to its current place, as it was thought that the original location was not an auspicious place according to geomantic traditions.Various items that were originally buried in the tomb were excavated in 1973 and now are exhibited in the King Sejong the Great Memorial Hall (세종대왕 기념관), which is located in Cheongnyangni, Seoul.Nyeongneung (녕릉/영릉) is the royal tomb of the 17th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, King Hyojong (1619-1659, reign 1649-1659), and of his wife Queen Inseon (1618-1674).The tomb was originally located to the west of Geonwolleung (건원릉, the tomb of King Taejo, the 1st ruler of the Joseon Dynasty), but in 1673 cracks appeared on the tomb’s “Byeongpungseok” (stone border), and it was moved to its current location, which is to the east of Yeongneung (영릉, the tomb of King Sejong).King Hyojong was the second son of King Injo, Joseon Dynasty’s 16th ruler, and Queen Illyeol. Upon ascending to the throne, he devised a plan to conquer the Northern region of Asia, including the Qing Dynasty (part of China). As part of the plan, he reformed the military system and strengthened the army and military enforcements. King Hyojong had spent time in northern China when he was taken hostage by the Manchus. During that time he became exposed to many different cultures and technological advancements. When a group of Dutch sailors were shipwrecked on the Korean shore, King Hyojong ordered them to build the Korean army’s first muskets.King Hyojong also implemented “Daedongbeop (대동법)”, a tax system under which people had to pay taxes with rice, and circulated “Sangpyeongtongbo (상평통보)”, the coinage of the Joseon Dynasty.


Gyeonggi-do(Goyang-si) , Ilsan

Seooreung (서오릉) is composed of Gyeongneung (경릉, the tomb of the posthumously designated rulers, King Deokjong and Queen Sohye), Changneung (창릉, the tomb of King Yejong, the 8th ruler, and Queen Ansun), Hongneung (홍릉, the tomb of Queen Jeongseong, a consort to King Yeongjo, the 21st ruler), Ingneung (익릉, the tomb of Queen Ingyeong, a consort to King Sukjong) and Myeongneung (명릉, the tomb of King Sukjong, the 19th ruler, and his two wives, Queen Inhyeon and Queen Inwon).Seooreung is the second largest royal burial site of the Joseon Dynasty after Donggureung. In Korean, the mausoleums of Kings and Queens are named “Reung” or “Neung”, the tombs of Kings’ parents, Crown Princes and Princesses are called “Won”, and the tombs of princes and princess are called “Myo”.In addition to the five “Reung”s (the tombs of the Kings and Queens) in Seooreung, there are three “Won”s. These include Sunchangwon (순창원, the tomb of Crown Prince Sunhoe and Crown Princess Gonghoebin), Sugyeongwon (수경원, the tomb of King Yeongjo’s concubine, Yeongbin) and Yeonghoewon (영회원, King Injo’s son, Crown Prince Sohyeon and Crown Princess Minhoebin). Also, Daebinmyo, the grave of Janghuibin who was King Sukjong’s concubine and King Gyeongjong’s mother, was recently moved to Seooreung.


Gyeonggi-do(Guri-si) , Guri

Donggureung Tombs are located in a large forest area, and they are the resting place of Joseon's kings and queens. There are nine royal mausoleums and seventeen graves in total. The tombs are very large compared to other tombs in Korea, and the surrounding forest adds to the scenery. The nine royal mausoleums include the tomb of Joseon Dynasty’s founder King Taejo (1335-1408), which is called Geonwolleung (건원릉).All around the mausoleums are thick forests, and between the graves there are casual walking trails. An especially famous part of the Donggureung Tomb area is the historically significant field of purple eulalia reeds. The long reeds are said to have been transplanted from King Taejo’s hometown in the Hamheung region. The burial site carries 600 years of Joseon history with it.


Gyeonggi-do(Paju-si) , Paju(Heyri Art valley)

Paju Samneung (파주 삼릉) consists of the Gongneung, Sulleung, and Yeongneung tombs.Gongneung (공릉) is the royal tomb of Queen Jangsun (1445-1461), consort of King Yejong, the 8th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty. She died when she was still a crown princess, so her tomb is very simple. There is not even a “Mangjuseok”, which is the name for the pair of stones that stand on either side of the mound.Sulleung (순릉) is the tomb of Queen Gonghye (1456-1474), a consort of King Seongjong, the 9th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty. Sulleung is similar to Gongneung in many ways, but it has more stonework. Queen Gonghye was the 4th daughter of Han Myeong-Hoe, a high-ranking government officer, and a sister of Queen Jangsun, who is buried in Gongneung. This was the only time in the history of the Joseon dynasty that two sisters both became queen.Yeongneung (영릉) is the tomb of the posthumously designated king, King Jinjong (1719-1728), the first son of King Yeongjo, and Queen Hyosun (1715-1751). King Jinjong became the crown prince at the age of 7, but he died when he was only 13 in Changgyeonggung Palace. Queen Hyosun became the crown princess when she was 13 years old. In 1751, she died at the age of 37 without an heir.