Sin Heum Burial Ground and Spirit-path Stele

This is the tomb of Sin Heum (1566–1628), a civil official and a master of Sino-Korean literature praised as the leading writer of his generation, active during the reigns of King Seonjo and King Injo of Joseon. Sin Heum's dignified and succinct character and outstanding literary talent earned him the trust of King Seonjo, and he showed particular skill in drafting diplomatic documents and various ceremonial texts. The burial ground takes the form of a single mound (danbun) in which he is buried together with his wife, Lady Jeonui Yi. The form of the tomb has been relatively well preserved in its original state, and most of the stone furnishings are the original ones. In front of the mound, a grave marker (myopyo), a spirit-seat stone (honyuseok), an offering table (sangseok) and an incense-burner stone (hyangnoseok) are arranged in sequence. The myopyo — a stele inscribed with the name of the deceased — was erected in 1628, the 6th year of King Injo; true to his reputation as a master of Sino-Korean literature, the inscription on its back was composed by Sin Heum himself. It takes the common wonsubangbu form (a stele with a round capstone and a square base), and the marble of its body stone forms a beautiful pattern. Below the mound stand a stone lantern (jangmyeongdeung), a pair of mangju pillars, and a pair of stone civil officials (munseogin). The stone lantern has a small fire-window (hwachang) with almost no decoration. The mangju pillars are finished with neat cloud carving (ungak) on the head and yeomu-pattern decoration; their bodies are carved with a modified ear (i) motif, showing features of a transitional period. The stone civil officials wear the bokdu-gongbok form — a bokdu cap and official robes — and although their bodies are depicted in a flat, two-dimensional style, the detailed carving of their faces reflects the stylistic changes of the early 17th century. At the entrance to the burial ground stands a spirit-path stele (sindobi) — a stele erected beside the road near the tomb of a king or high official to commemorate his lifetime achievements — of the grand isugwibu form (a stele with a dragon-patterned capstone and a tortoise-shaped base). It was erected in 1699, the 25th year of King Sukjong, and is very large with a stable structure. The dragon carving on its capstone is an outstanding work, combining free variation in height with exceptional detail. This burial ground is a valuable cultural heritage that shows the essence of the Joseon-period tomb culture that developed in the Gyeonggi region.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gwangju, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물