- 30–60 min
Highlights
- 둘레돌에 새긴 평복 차림 십이지신상
- 왕릉에 버금가는 지름 약 30m 봉분과 돌난간
- 1710년 경주부윤이 세운 묘표
- 무덤 주인을 둘러싼 학계의 논쟁
- 봄 개나리·벚꽃이 피는 진입로
About this place
On a pine-covered ridge, walk around the round burial mound and you notice that the twelve animal-headed guardians carved around its base all turn their heads the same way. The Tomb of Kim Yu-sin is traditionally the grave of Kim Yu-sin (595–673), the general who led Silla to unify the Three Kingdoms. Although he was a subject, not a king, his tomb rivals royal ones in size and decoration.
History: a general buried like a king
Kim Yu-sin descended from the royal house of Geumgwan Gaya, which had surrendered to Silla. Marriage ties with Kim Chun-chu, later King Taejong Muyeol, gave him a political base. He commanded Silla's forces when Baekje fell in 660, and in 668 he was supreme commander for the campaign against Goguryeo. When he died, King Munmu is said to have buried him with full honours and erected a stele to his deeds. A later king, Heungdeok, gave him the posthumous title Great King Heungmu.
The tomb became a Historic Site in 1963. South-west of it stands a marker stone put up in 1710 by Nam Ji-hun, then magistrate of Gyeongju; the stele King Munmu erected has not survived.
What to see
- Mound and railing: the mound is usually given as about 30 m across. Facing stones line its base, a stone railing runs around the outside, and the strip in between is paved.
- Zodiac guardians: carved and plain facing stones alternate. Zodiac guardians at Silla tombs normally wear armour, but these wear everyday clothes while holding weapons, and although their bodies face forward, their heads turn to the right. The relief is shallow but finely worked.
- Geumsanjae: below the tomb is a shrine holding Kim Yu-sin's memorial tablet.
Good to know
Whether this really is Kim Yu-sin's tomb is still debated. Zodiac reliefs around the base appear only from the 8th century, around a hundred years after his death, so in 1968 the historian Yi Byeong-do argued that it belongs to King Sinmu. Others reply that the grave began as a simple mound and was remodelled in royal style after he was honoured as Great King Heungmu. Look at the carvings yourself and decide which story you find more convincing.
Tripto tips
- Opening hours: March–October 09:00–18:00, November–February 09:00–17:00, open year-round.
- Admission: adults KRW 2,000, youth and soldiers KRW 1,000, children KRW 500. Parking is free.
- Guides: a local heritage guide gives talks six times a day, on the hour.
- Season: the lane up from near the Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal is lined with forsythia and cherry blossoms in spring and is a popular walk.
- Time: 30 minutes for the tomb, 1 hour including the walk along the approach.
Nearby
- Tomb of King Taejong Muyeol: the grave of Kim Chun-chu, Kim Yu-sin's partner in unification, about 10 minutes west by car.
- Daereungwon and Hwangnidan-gil: head back towards the centre for the great Silla tumuli and the hanok café street.
Plan your visit
Getting there
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