Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, Royal mausoleums in Gyeonggi, South Korea.
The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are burial sites spread across multiple locations that hold more than forty kings and queens. Each complex features stone guardian statues, offering tables, and maintained pathways connecting the different areas.
These burial grounds began in 1392 when the Joseon Dynasty started and follow rules from Confucian texts and traditional geomancy practices. Over centuries, new graves were added while the foundation and layout remained true to the same principles.
The tombs reveal how royal burials followed strict social rank through stone guardian statues and arranged pathways that are still visible today. Visitors can see how different sections of the site served specific ceremonial purposes and how people once came to make offerings.
The site is divided into several separate clusters, each requiring its own visit, with some being easier to reach than others. Planning time for multiple locations and checking which areas are currently open beforehand helps with planning your visit.
Many of the tomb locations were deliberately chosen to be at specific distances from the capital and aligned according to geomantic principles. These invisible lines and distances were as important to Koreans then as the stone structures themselves.
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