Tomb of King Kongmin
Encyclopedia
The Tomb of King Kongmin, more correctly known as the Hyonjongrung Royal Tomb, is a 14th-century mausoleum
located in Haeson-ri, Kaepung
County just outside of the city of Kaesong
, North Korea
. It is one of the Royal Tombs of the Koryo Dynasty
.
The site consists of two separate burial mounds, Hyonrung, which contain the remains of Kongmin
, 31st king of the Koryo Dynasty, and Jongrung, which contains his wife, the Mongolian
princess Queen Noguk
. Nominated for World Heritage status, it is one of the best preserved royal tombs in North Korea
which remains in its original state, having avoided extensive "restoration" under the Communist government.
(known as pung su in Korean
).
A local tale related how the mountain opposite that on which the tombs sit got its name; When Kongmin's wife died, he hired geomancers
to find a perfect location for which to place her tomb. Becoming upset when every one failed to please him, he ordered that the next one to try would be given anything they desired if they succeeded; however, if they failed him he would kill them on the spot. When one young geomancer told him to review a spot outside Kaesong, Kongmin secretly told his advisors that if he waved his handkerchief they should execute the geomancer.
While the geomancer took the king's subjects to the spot where the tomb is now located, Kongmin climbed the one opposite to review the site. When he reached the top of the mountain, exhausted, he dabbed his brow and surveyed the area; delightedly, he found it to be perfect and prepared to personally congratulate the young man. However, upon climbing down the mountain he found that the man had been executed; the subjects had seen him wipe his brow and thought that he had wanted the man executed. Hearing of his foolishness, the King exclaimed "Oh, my!"; his subjects then named the mountain this as a memorial to the story.
Unfortunately, the tomb's relics were lost in 1905 when the tomb chamber was blasted opened with dynamite and looted by the Japanese
; most of the relics inside were believed to be taken to Japan, though Kongmin's coffin is currently exhibited in the Koryo Museum in Kaesong.
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
located in Haeson-ri, Kaepung
Kaepung
Kaep'ung is a county in North Hwanghae province, North Korea. Formerly part of the Kaesong urban area, the county was merged with North Hwanghae when Kaesong was demoted in 2003...
County just outside of the city of Kaesong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. It is one of the Royal Tombs of the Koryo Dynasty
Royal Tombs of the Koryo Dynasty
The Royal Tombs of the Koryo Dynasty are a group of tombs of members of the Korean Koryo Dynasty .-The tombs:The royal tombs are scattered around southwestern North Hwanghae Province, with most of them located within 20 kilometers of Kaesong, the Koryo capital...
.
The site consists of two separate burial mounds, Hyonrung, which contain the remains of Kongmin
Gongmin of Goryeo
King Gongmin ruled Goryeo Dynasty Korea from 1351 until 1374.he was the second son of King Chungsuk. In addition to his various Korean names , he bore the Mongolian name Bayàn Temür .-Early life:...
, 31st king of the Koryo Dynasty, and Jongrung, which contains his wife, the Mongolian
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
princess Queen Noguk
Queen Noguk
Queen Noguk , also known as Queen Indeok, was a Mongolian princess and later became queen of Korea, who followed the Yuan Dynasty custom of marrying Goryeo princes in to the family line....
. Nominated for World Heritage status, it is one of the best preserved royal tombs in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
which remains in its original state, having avoided extensive "restoration" under the Communist government.
History
Construction on the tombs began after Queen Noguk's death in 1365, and was completed seven years later in 1372. The tombs consist of a carved granite base topped with a small hill; they are surrounded by statues of sheep and tigers. The tigers represent fierceness and the sheep represent gentleness; in other words om and yang. The "spirit road" up to the tombs is lined with statues of military officers and Confucian officials. Their placement was an important consideration for the king, and many geomancers, astrologers, and mathematicians were consulted to make sure the site had good feng shuiFeng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
(known as pung su in Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
).
A local tale related how the mountain opposite that on which the tombs sit got its name; When Kongmin's wife died, he hired geomancers
Geomancy
Geomancy is a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rocks, or sand...
to find a perfect location for which to place her tomb. Becoming upset when every one failed to please him, he ordered that the next one to try would be given anything they desired if they succeeded; however, if they failed him he would kill them on the spot. When one young geomancer told him to review a spot outside Kaesong, Kongmin secretly told his advisors that if he waved his handkerchief they should execute the geomancer.
While the geomancer took the king's subjects to the spot where the tomb is now located, Kongmin climbed the one opposite to review the site. When he reached the top of the mountain, exhausted, he dabbed his brow and surveyed the area; delightedly, he found it to be perfect and prepared to personally congratulate the young man. However, upon climbing down the mountain he found that the man had been executed; the subjects had seen him wipe his brow and thought that he had wanted the man executed. Hearing of his foolishness, the King exclaimed "Oh, my!"; his subjects then named the mountain this as a memorial to the story.
Unfortunately, the tomb's relics were lost in 1905 when the tomb chamber was blasted opened with dynamite and looted by the Japanese
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
; most of the relics inside were believed to be taken to Japan, though Kongmin's coffin is currently exhibited in the Koryo Museum in Kaesong.