Tomb of King Muryeong and Royal Tombs in Gongju
공주 무령왕릉과 왕릉원
Seven royal tombs of Ungjin-period Baekje on the south slope of Songsan. One of them, the tomb of King Muryeong, was found with its own memorial tablets, making it one of very few Three Kingdoms tombs whose occupant and date are known. It was long called the Songsan-ri tombs.
Language
Place information
- Korean name
- 공주 무령왕릉과 왕릉원
- Address
- San 5-1 Geumseong-dong, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do
History
Ungjin-period Baekje
Seven royal tombs
Seven tombs lie on the south-facing mid-slope below Songsan, a hill of about 120 metres. West of the valley are the tomb of King Muryeong and tombs 5 and 6; north-east of it are tombs 1 to 4.
the colonial period
Tombs 1 to 6 investigated
Tombs 1 to 6 were investigated and their structure and type established. Tombs 1 to 4 had already been robbed before the work began.
21 January 1963
Designated a Historic Site
Designated as a Historic Site covering 541,524.4 square metres.
1971
The tomb of King Muryeong is found
The tomb was found during repair work on tombs 5 and 6. Its chamber walls carry five lamp niches, and among the many finds were the memorial tablets that name the occupant.
structure
Two brick tombs
Tomb 6 and King Muryeong's tomb are the surviving Baekje brick tombs. Their walls alternate courses of lotus-patterned bricks laid flat and on end — a form read as Chinese influence — while the Four Guardians and sun-and-moon murals in tomb 6 are read as Goguryeo influence.
2015
Inscribed as World Heritage
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the eight sites making up the Baekje Historic Areas.
What to see
The tomb of King Muryeong
The memorial tablets found inside fix its date, which is why it is treated as an absolute-date reference for the study of Baekje society and culture.
Tomb 6
Also called the Songsan-ri mural tomb. It has a double arched passage and a long rectangular chamber built of bricks stamped with wuzhu coins, and its chamber walls carry paintings of the Four Guardians and of the sun and moon.
The tomb of King Muryeong selected
Nearby
Gongju National Museum
The national museum that holds the finds from the tomb of King Muryeong. It stands a short way west of the tomb park, so seeing the tombs and then seeing what was inside them falls into an easy order.
Gongsanseong Fortress
A fortress wrapping the valleys of a low hill on the south bank of the Geum River. It was the walled capital while Baekje's court sat at Ungjin, and remained a seat of provincial administration into the Joseon period. Originally earthen, it was rebuilt in stone under Joseon.
Yuseong Hot Springs
The hot-spring quarter around Bongmyeong-dong in Daejeon's Yuseong district: hotels and bathhouses drawing on alkaline spring water of 27–56°C, plus a free public foot spa in the park that is separate from all of them. The quarter is not one facility, so prices and closing days belong to the individual businesses.
Buyeo Royal Tombs
Seven Baekje tombs on the south slope of Neungsan, set in two rows front and back. The ground has long been known as royal tombs, and finds from the temple site west of them reconfirmed it as a royal burial area. UNESCO lists it as the royal tombs in Neungsan-ri; the name the Korea Heritage Service uses today is Buyeo Royal Tombs.
Stories about this place
- The Tomb of King Muryeong: The One Three Kingdoms Tomb That Names Its Occupant
In 1971, drainage work on tombs 5 and 6 in Gongju turned up an untouched tomb next door. Inside were two inscribed stones, and the names on them made this one burial a fixed point for dating the whole of Baekje history.
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