Royal Tombs of the Koryo Dynasty
| Royal Tombs of the Koryo Dynasty | |
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| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 고려왕릉 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Goryeo wangneung |
| McCune–Reischauer | Koryŏ wangrŭng |
The Royal Tombs of the Koryo Dynasty are a group of tombs of members of the Korean Koryo Dynasty (918-1392).
The royal tombs are scattered around southwestern North Hwanghae Province, with most of them located within 20 kilometers of Kaesong, the Koryo capital. Most tombs are located in Kaepung County, which borders Kaesong to the west, though there are also a significant number in Changpung county, which borders Kaesong to the east. Some tombs, all unidentified, are also located within Kaesong itself.
Koryo-era royal tombs followed the guidelines outlined in Chinese Confucian texts, such as the Book of Rites (Li Ji) and the Rites of Zhou (Zhou Li). Many factors went into consideration when deciding the location of a tomb, such as the distance from Kaesong, the distance in relation to other royal tombs, the accessibility of the location, and the tradition of Feng Shui (known as 'pungsu' in Korean). The tomb construction also took into account traditional burial rituals of Korea and the natural environment.
37°59′6″N 126°30′19″E / 37.98500°N 126.50528°E
Hyonrung (현릉/), also known as the Tomb of King Wanggon, is the tomb of King Taejo (877-943, r. 918-943), founder of the Koryo dynasty. Taejo, who adopted that name upon ascending the throne, was the first king to unify the entire Korean peninsula after subjugation the southern states of Silla and Paekje. Construction on the tomb began after the king's death in 943. He was buried with his favorite wife, Queen Sinhye. The tomb was heavily reconstructed in 1994, and all of the original buildings and statues were cleared away in order to accomplish its "restoration". Today, the burial chamber is open to tourists, and displays the coffins containing the remains of Taejo and his queen, as well as the tomb's original carved decorations. Hyonrung is located on the side of Mt. Mansu in Haeson-ri, Kaepung County, and is listed as North Korean National Treasure #179. In the valley behind the tomb is the Chilrunggun, a group of seven tombs containing the remains of various princes, princesses, and concubines.
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