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Daereungwon
Tomb complex in Gyeongju, South Korea From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Daereungwon (Korean: 대릉원; Hanja: 大陵園) is a complex of Silla-era tumuli tombs in Gyeongju, South Korea.[1][2] Since 2011, it has been a designated Historic Site of South Korea.[2][3] The site is now a popular tourist attraction; in 2023 it was reported that it had around 1 million visitors on average per year.[4]
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The complex contains 23 tombs of kings, queens, and nobles from the Silla period.[2]
The tombs were first excavated during the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period. The tomb Geumgwanchong was excavated in 1921, Geumnyeongchong in 1924, Singnichong in 1924, and Seobongchong in 1926. After the 1945 liberation of Korea, Houchong was excavated in 1946, Machong in 1953, and Ssangsangchong in 1963, and Cheonmachong in 1973.[2]
Most tombs have their coffin below the ground level. Some have coffins semi or above the ground level. Stones were piled on top of the coffin, and then earth was piled on top of that. The sturdy construction of the tombs made them difficult for looters to access, which allowed for many of their relics to be well-preserved to the present.[2] A number of relics have been designated National Treasures.[4] Artifacts have continued to be excavated. In 2020, a pair of ceremonial gilt-bronze shoes dated to the late 5th and early 6th centuries was discovered in the complex.[5]
The area is now a popular tourist attraction.[6] In 2023, it was reported that there are light shows in the evening during which images are projected onto the tombs. Projections also explain their history.[4]
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Gallery
People walking near one of the tombs (2006)
A lake in the complex (2019)
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