Jeongneung Royal Tomb (Queen Sindeok)

In the Bukhansan foothills of Seongbuk-gu, Jeongneung is the tomb of Queen Sindeok, second wife of King Taejo, founder of the Joseon dynasty. Once a royal tomb in the heart of the capital, it was pushed out by political rivalry and neglected for more than 260 years before being restored, and its deep woods make it a favourite city walk. It is one of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

History: the tomb of an ousted queen

Queen Sindeok became Joseon's first queen when the dynasty was founded, and Taejo named her son Bangseok crown prince. When she died in 1396, Taejo built her tomb inside the city walls, in today's Jeong-dong near the British Embassy, and reserved a place beside her for himself. But Taejong, who took the throne after the Strife of the Princes, demoted her to the rank of concubine and, the year after Taejo's death, moved the tomb outside the walls to its present site in 1409. Timber from the old tomb went into a lodging for Chinese envoys, and its screen and railing stones were used to repair Gwangtonggyo bridge on the Cheonggyecheon after a flood. Little more than an ordinary grave for centuries, Jeongneung regained the form of a royal tomb in 1669, when the queen's status was restored at the urging of the scholar Song Si-yeol.

What to see

• Hongsalmun and the spirit path: beyond the red gate, the stone path to the shrine bends once to follow the terrain, a feature unique to Jeongneung.
• Jeongjagak: the T-shaped ritual hall, with the mound rising on the slope behind it.
• Stele pavilion: the Joseon-era stone was re-inscribed 'Jeongneung of Empress Sindeok of the Great Han' when the Korean Empire posthumously raised her to empress.
• Stone figures at the mound: the mound is simple, without screen stones or railings, surrounded by civil officials, horses and pillars. The stone lantern, which follows the style of the tomb of the Goryeo king Gongmin, comes from the original tomb and is the oldest stone object at any Joseon royal tomb.
• Forest trails: paths wind through the woods around the tomb, each season giving them a different character.

Good to know

• To pray for the queen's soul, Taejo is said to have built Heungcheonsa, a temple of some 170 bays, beside the original tomb.
• In 1899, under the Korean Empire, she was posthumously elevated to empress, and the present stele was set up the following year.
• Jeongneung was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 as part of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.

Nearby

• Gilsangsa: a tranquil temple about 1 km away, ideal for combining with a walk around Seongbuk-dong.
• Kansong Art Museum: a private museum in Seongbuk-dong; check its exhibition dates before you go.
• Gwangtonggyo on the Cheonggyecheon: the bridge repaired with stones from the old tomb, an easy stop in central Seoul.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: 06:00–18:00 in February–May and September–October, 06:00–18:30 in June–August and 06:30–17:30 in November–January; last entry one hour before closing. Closed on Mondays (the next weekday if Monday is a holiday).
• Admission: adults KRW 1,000. Free for visitors aged 24 and under or 65 and over, and for everyone on the last Wednesday of each month (Culture Day).
• Getting there: the address is 116 Arirang-ro 19-gil, Seongbuk-gu. It is walkable from Jeongneung Station on the Ui LRT. Parking is free.
• Time needed: 40 minutes for the tomb itself, or about 1.5 hours with the forest trails.