As the bus reached near Donggureung (East Nine Royal Tombs), an announcement came out of the speakers. “This stop is Donggureung, a cluster of the largest royal tombs in Korea.” I remember learning about Donggureung in school but the fact that it was located in Guri was somewhat unexpected. As there must be many people like me, the name of the bus stop was .

Geonwonneung

Geonwonneung

Geonwonneung

Designated as UNESCO World Heritage in 2009, Donggureung means “nine tombs of kings and queens on the east.” At Donggureung, nine mausoleums and 17 graves of Joseon Dynasty’s kings and queens are situated, including Geonwonneung of Joseon’s founder, King Taejo; Hyeonleung of King Munjong and Queen Hyeondeok; Mongneung of King Seonjo, Queen Uiin and Queen Inmok; Sungneung of King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong; Wonneung of King Yeongjo and Queen Jeongsun; Gyeongneung of King Heonjong and Queen Hyohyeon; Hwileung of Queen Jangnyeol; and Hyeleung of Queen Danui.

The fact that royal tombs of 6 of the 27 kings of the Joseon Dynasty are located here means that the site was a propitious site for burial. With Geomamsan Mountain as the main mountain, a gate was built on the hillside of the mountain while the topography on the left and right form the shapes of Cheongnyong, blue dragon, and Baekho, white tiger, and the tombs were situated to face Ansan on the south.

Mongneung

Though the tombs look similar to one another, small but definite differences, including the disparity between a literati statue and a military officer statue or the presence of a memorial stone, can be observed while listening to the explanation. Unlike other royal tombs with green grass, Geonwonneung is covered with silver grass, which was, according to an anecdote, brought from King Taejo’s hometown and planted by King Taejong for his father who missed his home dearly. If you want to know why Geonwonneung stands alone and Joseon royal tombs came to be established in Guri’s Donggureung in detail, I recommend you to first stop by Donggureung Royal Tombs History Center located next to the ticket office.

Many visit Donggureung just for a light walk and rest instead of seeing royal tombs. In the tomb area, Korean traditional pine trees are thickly wooded and wild flowers have also survived on their own here and there. A stream that runs through the tomb area boasts a beautiful landscape, great for a stroll.

In the days of Joseon, there was an official position whose sole tasks are to protect the royal tombs, conduct rituals and manage the trees and buildings of the forest surrounding the tombs. The title of this manager of Joseon royal tombs was Neungchambong. Donggureung hosts an event in which sixth graders and middle school students have a chance to wear traditional clothing of the Joseon Dynasty and experience a typical day of a Neungchambong. Teenagers who finish the Neungchambong activity are given a certain number of community service hours. Through such experiences, I believe that they will have greater interests in our country’s history. 

Written and photos by Kim Sun-joo

TIP.

Reserve in advance a spot for the historic exploration and cultural commentary held every Wednesday at Participation Ground on the website of Joseon Royal Tombs (http://royalyombs.cha.go.kr). Culture commentators tell the stories hidden behind Joseon royal tombs in an exciting, easy-to-understand manner.

Website http://royaltombs.cha.go.kr/html/HtmlPage.do?pg=/new/html/portal_01_01_01.jsp&mn=RT_01_01

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