East Nine Royal Tombs, Guri

Donggureung, 'the nine tombs to the east', is the largest of the Joseon royal burial grounds. It began in 1408 with Geonwolleung, the tomb of Taejo, who founded the dynasty, and kept filling for five hundred years: the last burial was in 1904. Taejo's mound is the one to find. Every other royal tomb is turfed; his is covered in silver grass, brought from his home country in the far north-east because — the story goes — he had asked to be buried in his birthplace and his son compromised. The grass is still cut and replanted each spring. Walking the rest is a course in how the tombs changed. Hyeolleung, for Munjong, who reigned two years, keeps the early style with a full ring of carved screen stones. Wolleung, for the long-lived Yeongjo and his young second queen, shows the eighteenth-century economy of plain rails and fewer figures. Sureung and Gyeongneung hold the last generations before the monarchy fell.

Original Text

Where it is

Region

Guri, Gyeonggi

Designation

Historic Site · 사적