Heonilleung Royal Tombs

A few minutes' drive from Gangnam's office towers, stone officials, warriors, horses and sheep stand in rows on grassy mounds among the pines. Heonilleung is the joint name of two royal tombs where King Taejong, the third ruler of Joseon, and King Sunjo, the 23rd, rest with their queens. It was designated a Historic Site in 1970 and became part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty" in 2009.

Heolleung: the grandest tomb for Taejong

Heolleung is the tomb of Taejong (r. 1400–1418) and Queen Wongyeong. When the queen died first in 1420, her tomb was built here, and Taejong reserved his own place beside it. He died two years later, in 1422, and was buried to the west of the queen, creating the twin mounds you see today. Facing the tombs, the king lies on the left and the queen on the right.

Both mounds are wrapped in carved screen stones and railings, with the twelve zodiac guardians on the screens. The stone officials, warriors, horses, sheep and tigers are doubled compared with other royal tombs, following the model of the Goryeo tombs of King Gongmin and Queen Noguk. The stele pavilion below holds two memorial steles: one erected after Taejong's death and a replacement from 1695. The original, set up in 1422, became a Treasure in 2013.

Illeung: a tomb built with recycled stones

Illeung holds King Sunjo (r. 1800–1834) and Queen Sunwon together in a single mound. Sunjo was first buried in Paju but was moved here in 1856 because the original site was considered inauspicious. This spot had once held the first tomb of King Sejong, so during construction the builders dug up and reworked stone figures from Sejong's original tomb and from the first tomb of Queen Janggyeong. The process is recorded in a royal ceremonial record (uigwe). Sejong himself was buried near his father Taejong for some years before being moved to Yeoju in 1469.

What to see

• Red gate and T-shaped shrine: each tomb has a red spiked gate at its entrance and a T-shaped hall where rites were held.
• Stone figures: compare Heolleung's doubled rows with the realistic carving of the officials and warriors at Illeung.
• Ritual house and trail: the ritual preparation house is open, and from March to November a gentle forest trail of about 0.5 km is open as well.

Nearby

• Heonilleung alder forest: the alder woodland around the tombs is protected by Seoul as an ecological landscape conservation area.
• Seonjeongneung: another Joseon royal tomb site, in the middle of Gangnam, where Kings Seongjong and Jungjong are buried. It is a short drive away, so two royal tomb sites fit into one day.
• Donggureung: the cluster of nine royal tombs in Guri, including Geonwolleung of King Taejo. Visit it if you want to follow the story on to Taejong's father.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: February–May and September–October 09:00–18:00, June–August 09:00–18:30, November–January 09:00–17:30; last entry one hour before closing. Closed on Mondays (the next weekday if Monday is a public holiday).
• Admission: adults KRW 1,000. Foreign visitors aged 18 or under or 65 and over, and anyone wearing hanbok, enter free.
• Time needed: 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for both tombs. Parking is free.
• Getting there: you will need to change from the subway to a bus. Check the Heonilleung stop in a map app before setting out.