Paju Samneung Royal Tombs

In a forest in Jori-eup, Paju, Paju Samneung – "three tombs" – brings together Gongneung, Sunneung and Yeongneung, which is why it is also called Gong-sun-yeong-neung. Two of them belong to the daughters of Han Myeong-hoe, the most powerful official of his day: the elder became queen to King Yejong and the younger to King Seongjong, yet both died in their teens. Because each tomb was built to a different rank, this is a good place to see how Joseon expressed status in stone.

Gongneung: the elder sister, buried as a crown princess

Queen Jangsun (1445–1461), Han Myeong-hoe's third daughter, became crown princess in 1460 and bore a son the following year, but died of complications after childbirth at the age of 17. Her tomb was built in 1462 as that of a crown princess, and only in 1470, under King Seongjong, was she raised to queen and the tomb renamed Gongneung. Since it was built for a crown princess, it has no screen stones, railing or stone pillars, and the figures are simple. Notice also how the stone path from the red gate to the shrine bends once to follow the terrain.

Sunneung: the only full royal tomb of the three

Queen Gonghye (1456–1474), Han's fourth daughter and Jangsun's younger sister, became queen when Seongjong took the throne but died at 19 in Changdeokgung Palace and was buried next to her sister. As she died a reigning queen, hers is the only one of the three built in full royal style, with a stone railing, civil and military officials, and two pairs each of stone sheep and tigers. Look at the drum-shaped stones (goseok) supporting the offering table: they carry an unusually broad goblin-face pattern.

Yeongneung: one tomb, three steles

Yeongneung belongs to Crown Prince Hyojang (1719–1728), King Yeongjo's eldest son, and his wife. He died at 10 and was given a modest crown prince's tomb. His fate changed when Yeongjo made his grandson, the future King Jeongjo, Hyojang's adopted heir. When Jeongjo came to the throne in 1776, Hyojang was posthumously made King Jinjong, and in 1908 he was elevated again, this time to emperor. A new stele was set up with each promotion, so the two stele pavilions hold three of them. The tomb is a twin mound inside one curved wall; seen from the front, Jinjong lies on the left and his wife on the right.

Comparing the three

Paju Samneung is among the 40 Joseon royal tombs on the UNESCO World Heritage List (2009). Walking from Gongneung, built for a crown princess, to Sunneung, a queen's tomb from the start, and on to Yeongneung, a crown prince's grave that became an emperor's tomb, you can read each person's rank in the number of stone figures and whether there is a railing. The forest paths between the tombs are easy walking.

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, with last entry one hour before closing. The regular closing day is Monday; when a Monday is a public holiday the site opens and closes on the next weekday instead.
• Admission: KRW 1,000 for adults (Koreans aged 25–64, foreign visitors aged 19–64). Entry is free for foreign visitors aged 18 and under or 65 and over, and for anyone wearing hanbok.
• Time needed: 1–1.5 hours to see all three tombs.
• Getting there: the address is 89 Samneung-ro, Jori-eup, Paju. Geumchon Station on the Gyeongui–Jungang Line is just over 5 km away, so you need a bus or taxi from there; a car is easier.
• Best time: late spring for deep green woods and autumn for colour. Much of the walk crosses open lawn, so bring a hat in summer.