Buyeo Royal Tombs

During the 538–660 Sabi period, when Baekje ruled from what is now Buyeo, its kings and royal family were buried on a hillside at Neungsan-ri just east of town. The grass-covered round mounds lined up on a south-facing slope look modest, but the discovery of the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje, a national treasure, at a temple site right next to them confirmed that this was a royal cemetery. In 2015 it became one of the eight components of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Baekje Historic Areas".

History: royal tombs remembered in a place name

A Joseon-era local gazetteer records Baekje royal tombs ten li east of the Buyeo county office, and the village names "Neungmoe" and "Neungsan-ri" (royal tomb hill) kept that memory alive. Systematic excavation began under Japanese colonial rule in 1915 and 1917, by which time many tombs had already been looted. The site became a Historic Site on 21 January 1963, and further tombs were found in the western section in 2016. Long known as the Neungsan-ri Tombs, it was renamed Buyeo Royal Tombs in September 2021.

What to see

• The central group of mounds: mounds stand in two rows, with one more at the highest point behind them. Sources differ on whether the central group has 7 or 8 tombs; with the eastern and western groups there are about 20 in total. Climb the steps to the back for a view of the mounds side by side.
• How the tombs are built: each is an earth mound outside and a stone chamber with an entrance passage inside. Tomb 1 (Dongha-chong) has murals of the Four Guardian Deities, lotus flowers and clouds on its walls and ceiling, which point to influence from Goguryeo. Tomb 2 (Jungha-chong) has a tunnel-shaped vault like the Tomb of King Muryeong in Gongju, so it is thought to be the oldest and possibly the tomb of King Seong, who moved the capital to Sabi. Some scholars suggest Dongha-chong belongs to his son, King Wideok.
• Memorial tombs of King Uija and Buyeo Yung: to the left of the group are memorial mounds for Baekje's last king, Uija, and his son. After Baekje fell in 660, Uija was taken to Tang China and died there; the mounds were built with soil brought from the presumed site of his grave.
• Neungsa temple site and the Naseong wall: between the tombs and the Naseong, the outer wall that once surrounded Sabi, a temple site was excavated in 1993. The incense burner was found here, and a stone sarira reliquary followed in 1995, so the temple is thought to have served prayers for the royal dead.

Good to know

• The original incense burner is in the Buyeo National Museum. Seeing it first makes the empty temple site and the grassy mounds far more meaningful.
• Baekje moved its capital from Gongju (Ungjin) to Sabi. Comparing the vault shapes here with King Muryeong's tomb in Gongju shows how burial styles carried over between the two capitals.

Tripto tips

• Hours: March–October 09:00–18:00, November–February 09:00–17:00. Closed on Seollal and Chuseok days.
• Admission: adults KRW 1,000, teenagers KRW 600, children KRW 400. Free for children aged 6 and under and visitors aged 65 and over.
• Guides: groups of 10 or more can join a Korean-language heritage guide; English, Chinese and Japanese guiding must be booked in advance.
• Time needed: about 1–1.5 hours for the mounds and the temple site. There is little shade, so go early in summer.
• Combine it: there is a car park (100 cars). Jeongnimsa Temple Site and Busosanseong Fortress are a short drive west, which makes for a full Baekje day.