Donggureung Royal Tomb Cluster, Guri
九里 東九陵
경기도 구리시
Basic information
- Designation
- Historic Site No.193
- Category
- 유적지
- Era
- 조선 태종 8년(1408)
- Designated year
- 1970
- Location
- 구리시, 경기도— 경기 구리시 동구릉로 197 (인창동)
- Coordinates
- 37.616672, 127.136169
AI Docent
✨ AI-generated# Donggureung Royal Tomb Cluster Welcome to one of Korea's most significant royal burial grounds! Here in Guri, you're standing in a place where Korean history took shape over four centuries. This cluster holds nine royal tombs—the largest of its kind—housing everyone from King Taejo, the founding father of Joseon, right through to King Heonjong, the 24th king. Imagine the care that went into choosing this spot: King Taejong selected it based on geomancy principles, the ancient belief that location affects destiny. The tombs are arranged beautifully—three to the east of Taejo's tomb and five to the west—each following architectural styles that evolved over Joseon's long reign. What's remarkable is how Taejo's tomb itself drew inspiration from the perfectly preserved royal tombs of the earlier Goryeo dynasty, setting the standard for all Joseon royal burials that followed. Walking among these nine mounds, you're witnessing living proof of a dynasty's reverence for its ancestors and the timeless principles that guided Korean royal tradition.
⚠ This is an AI-generated retelling of the official description. For accuracy, refer to the official description below.
Description
This is the cluster of the royal mausoleum, which started placing the tomb of King Taejo, the founding father of Joseon. After the demise of King Taejo, King Taejong decided on this site for the tombs with Ha Ryun's advice. Some claim that Taejo decided on this place as the site of the royal mausoleum at the advice of famous monk Muhak, but it is just a myth to show the excellence of Muhak's Buddhist belief. This place housed the royal mausoleum for 400 years, supporting claims that this site is propitious according to geomancy beliefs. This cluster of the royal mausoleum has a name that means nine tombs on the east. Each tomb was installed, and it used to have a different name according to the number of tombs housed by this place. This is the place that holds nine royal tombs from the founding king, Taejo, to the 24th king, Heonjong. Three tombs are placed on the east of the tomb of Taejo, the founding father, and five, on the west. There are two other clusters of the royal mausoleum, but this is the biggest one. The tomb of King Taejo was constructed after that of King Gongmin of Goryeo and that of his wife, which were deemed to have been preserved most perfectly among the other royal tombs of Goryeo, becoming an example of the other royal tombs of Joseon. This cluster also shows the process of change in the style of the royal tombs. A room for the memorial service is said to have been installed per tomb. Note, however, that no tomb with a room is left; only one room exists for the nine tombs on the southern end.
Location
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Images: KOGL (khs.go.kr) · Data source: Korea Heritage Service Open API (khs.go.kr)