Hongneung and Yureung Royal Tombs

The Hongneung and Yureung Royal Tombs in Geumgok-dong, Namyangju, are the last two tombs built in the long line of Joseon royal tombs. Because they hold Emperor Gojong and Emperor Sunjong of the Korean Empire, they follow the model of Ming imperial tombs rather than earlier Joseon practice, and the procession of qilin, elephants, lions and camels carved in stone along the approach is found at no other Joseon royal tomb. They are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty".

Tombs of emperors

• Hongneung: the tomb of Gojong, first emperor of the Korean Empire, and Empress Myeongseong. The empress, murdered by Japanese agents in 1895, was first buried in Cheongnyangni (now the site of Hongneung Arboretum) and moved here to lie beside Gojong at his funeral in 1919, the funeral that coincided with the March First independence movement.
• Yureung: the tomb of Sunjong, the last emperor, with Empress Sunmyeonghyo and Empress Sunjeonghyo. It is the only Joseon royal tomb with three chambers under a single mound. Empress Sunmyeonghyo died in 1904 and was first buried at Yugangwon, where Seoul Children's Grand Park is today; she was moved here at Sunjong's funeral in 1926.

After Korea lost its sovereignty in 1910, the two emperors' graves could not legally be called royal tombs, but the imperial family kept the names Hongneung and Yureung, taken from the earlier tombs of the two empresses. With Sunjong's burial, Yureung became in effect the last royal tomb of a Joseon monarch.

How they differ from other royal tombs

After the Korean Empire was proclaimed in 1897, Hongneung combined the model of Xiaoling, the tomb of the first Ming emperor, with Joseon tradition to reflect imperial rank.

• Chimjeon hall: instead of the T-shaped shrine of ordinary royal tombs, a rectangular hall five bays wide and four bays deep stands below the mound.
• Stone procession: civil and military officials, qilin, elephants, lions, haetae, camels and horses face each other along the approach. The figures at Hongneung are large and carved in a traditional style, those at Yureung in a more realistic one.
• The mounds: both have twelve-panel screen stones carved with flowers; at Hongneung there are no surrounding stones or stone sheep outside the railing.
• Pond: to tie the two tombs together, an outer wall surrounds them and a stone-lined pond lies between them.

More to see nearby

Inside the precinct are the tomb of Crown Prince Yeong (Uimin) and his wife (Yeongwon), the tomb of his son Yi Gu (Hoeinwon), the grave of Princess Deokhye, the grave of Prince Ui and several graves of royal consorts. Together they tell the final chapter of the Korean imperial family.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: 09:00–18:00 from February to May and in September and October, 09:00–18:30 from June to August, 09:00–17:30 from November to January. Last entry is one hour before closing. Closed every Monday; if a Monday is a public holiday the site opens and closes on the next weekday instead.
• Admission: adults KRW 1,000 (Korean nationals aged 25–64, foreign visitors 19–64), groups of ten or more KRW 800. Free on the last Wednesday of each month ("Culture Day"); Namyangju residents get 50% off with proof.
• Parking: there is a car park.
• Combine with: stone figures from Empress Sunmyeonghyo's first tomb, Yugangwon, still stand in Seoul Children's Grand Park, which completes the story. Donggureung, the cluster of nine royal tombs in Guri, is also nearby.
• Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hours for both tombs and the pond at a relaxed pace.