Gyeongju - Royal Tombs


One of the other popular sites to see in Gyeongju are the Royal Tombs of the Silla (시라) Era. Filling the area just south of Gyeongju is a park full of the dirt mounds marking the burial sites of members of the royal family. Most of the tombs are signified by stone markers, like the one pictured below.


Although several of the tombs are in an open, public park, most of them reside inside the Daereungwon Tomb Complex. It has an entrance fee of a few thousand won, but the scenery inside is wonderful.


The main view point of the complex is Cheonmachong (천마총). This is the tomb of an unknown king that was excavated in 1973 and rebuild with an entrance to allow viewers inside. This way people could learn more about the construction of the tombs. In the typicall Silla style, the center is consrtucted of a wooden-lined chamber that runs east to west. This chamber is then covered in a thick layer of boulders and stones before being smoothed over with a thinner layer of dirt/earth on the outside.


Although archeologist don't know much about the people inside the tombs, and most of them have been excavated and their goods shipped off to other museums, it's still a scenic park to walk around.



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