Taereung and Gangneung Royal Tombs, Seoul

Basic information

Designation

Historic Site No.201

Category

유적지

Era

조선 명종 20년(1565)

Designated year

1970

Location

노원구, 서울특별시— 서울 노원구 화랑로 681 (공릉동)

Coordinates

37.630193, 127.097547

This is a royal tomb called Taereung where the second queen of King Jungjong, Queen Munjeong, is buried. Queen Munjeong, whose family originated from Papyeong, became the second queen at the age of 17 after Queen Janggyeong, the King’s first wife, passed away in 1515. King Jungjong wanted to place her grave at Jeongneung but she was buried here because of the possible submersion of Jeongneung during flooding. A twelve-sided stone screen engraved with the twelve zodiac animal deities and cloud patterns is drawn around the tomb. Other stone sculptures are placed in front of the tomb in accordance with the book of national ritual guidance. There also stands a T-shaped shrine which was destroyed during the Korean War but rebuilt in 1995. The typical style of figurative sculpture is proportioned into four and the cubic effect is absent. Gangneung is the tomb where King Myeongjong, the thirteenth king of Joseon, and his wife Queen Insun are buried. After the queen died, her grave placed next to the king's. As in Taereung, the tomb is embosomed in in stone screen. The stone lantern Jangmyeongdeung shows the retro tendency that was popular in the 16th century.

Location