UNESCO World Heritage Series: Part 10 - Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty
By Matthew Fennell, Contributing Writer
October 2017 - Asia Society Korea continues its World Heritage Series this month by previewing the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty. Joseon was Korea’s last dynasty, ruling over a united Korean peninsula for more than 500 years, starting from the fall of the Goryeo Dynasty in 1392 and ending with the Japanese occupation in 1910. The cultural innovations and achievements of the period continue to influence society in modern-day Korea, with UNESCO designating the royal tombs a World Heritage site in 2009.
The tombs were built over five centuries, from 1408 to 1966, and the collection of 40 graves can be found in 18 different locations around Korea, the majority of which are in or near Seoul. The tombs contain the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty, as well as monarchs posthumously granted the same title. Areas of outstanding natural beauty were chosen for the construction of the tombs, which face south overlooking a lake, river, or pond, and are typically protected by a hill to the rear.
One of the most important burial sites is Yeongneung in Yeoju where the first royal tomb was constructed. It houses the legendary ruler King Sejong the Great and his wife, Queen Soheon. King Sejong placed great emphasis on education, and he helped promote cultural, economic, and scientific research. He is best known as the inventor of hangul, the Korean writing script that we use today. This phonetic and straightforward system broke away from the old Chinese writing characters, called hanja, and made it easier for less-educated Koreans to become literate. Another unique burial site is Seonjeongneung in the heart of Gangnam, a wealthy and well-known district of Seoul. The Seolleung Royal Tomb and Jeongneung Royal Tomb house the burial mounds of King Seongjong, his wife Queen Jeonghyeon, and King Jungjong. The tombs somehow survived the development of Gangnam and now provide one of the few green spaces left in the area.
The tombs at Yeongneung, Seonjeongneung, and other locations were built to honor the memory of the dead, respect their achievements, assert royal authority, protect ancestral spirits from evil, and provide protection from external dangers. All 40 royal tombs were built following Confucian traditions and etiquette, and display a familiar spatial layout that reflects the spiritual values of the time. Alongside the burial place, each grave features a ceremonial area and entrance. In addition to these burial mounds, associated buildings form integral parts of the tombs, and the grounds are usually adorned with a range of stone objects including figures of people and animals. The Joseon Tombs complete a 5,000-year history of royal tomb architecture on the Korean peninsula.