Tomb of King Munmu

The Tomb of King Munmu is a small rocky islet about 200 m off the beach at Bonggil-ri, Munmudaewang-myeon, on the coast of Gyeongju. It is said to hold the remains of King Munmu (r. 661–681), the 30th ruler of Silla, who completed the unification of the Three Kingdoms. A royal tomb in the sea is extremely rare, and once you know the story, this ordinary-looking stretch of beach feels very different.

History: a king who wanted to become a dragon

According to the Samguk Sagi, Munmu asked to be cremated in the Buddhist manner and buried in the East Sea, so that he could become a dragon and guard the coast against Japanese raiders. Munmu had carried on the work of his father, King Muyeol, defeating Goguryeo and driving out the Tang forces. His son King Sinmun finished the nearby Gameunsa temple in his honour and built a channel under its main hall towards the sea, so the dragon king could come and go. The tomb was designated a Historic Site in 1967.

What to see

• Daewangam ("Great King's Rock"): the tomb uses natural rock. A cross-shaped set of channels was cut inside, so seawater flows in from the east and out to the west, keeping the pool in the centre calm.
• The turtle-shaped stone: a large flat stone lies under the water in the middle, long believed to cover the king's remains. Sources differ on its size: 3.7 m by 2.06 m, or 3.6 m by 2.9 m. Whether the ashes were buried here or scattered at sea is still debated.
• The rock itself: the tomb is also a geosite of the Gyeongbuk East Coast National Geopark. The granite shows north-east to south-west joints left by ancient tectonic movement.

Good to know

• Munmu's memorial stele collapsed long ago. Its lower part was found in 1961, and its upper part turned up in 2009 in a house in Gyeongju, where it was being used as a washboard. The fragments are in the care of the Gyeongju National Museum.
• Igyeondae, on the hill behind the beach, is where King Sinmun is said to have seen the dragon, and it gives a clear view of the tomb. The Gameunsa temple site is a few minutes away by car.

What the sea and rocks tell

The granite of Daewangam formed about 50 million years ago, and the cracks on its surface are thought to date from a major earthquake some 30 million years ago, which is why the site is presented as both a historic monument and a geosite. Further south in Ulsan there is another "Daewangam", where King Munmu's queen is said to have become a dragon, and some visitors make a point of seeing both.

Tripto tips

• Admission and hours: you look at the tomb from the beach, so it is free and open all year. There is a car park.
• When to go: sunrise, with the sun coming up behind the rock, is the most popular time. On New Year's Day the beach is packed, so come early.
• Watch out: the tomb is in the sea and cannot be visited by boat or swimming. The pebble beach has strong waves, so keep children back from the water.
• Time needed: 1–2 hours covers the beach, Igyeondae and the Gameunsa site. Buses are infrequent, so check routes in a map app before setting out.