Hongneung Royal Tomb, Ganghwa

Basic information

Designation

Historic Site No.224

Category

유적지

Era

고려 고종 46년(1259)

Designated year

1971

Location

강화군, 인천광역시— 인천 강화군 강화읍 국화리 산129-2번지

Coordinates

37.739807, 126.445600

This is the tomb of King Gojong (1192~1259), the 23rd king of the Goryeo Dynasty. The period of his regency was time of peril in the dynasty. Domestically, his near relations, a noted military family of Choe Clan, held the top political power so he did not have any substantial political influence. On the international front, strong nations like the Khitan and the Mongols (later to become the Yuan Dynasty) were invading Goryeo from the 18th year of his reign (1231). Their continuous attacks reduced the territory of Goryeo to ashes, with huge loss of human lives and cultural heritage. In the midst of this national crisis, King Gojong gave orders that the Tripitaka (called Daejanggyeong in Korean) should be made at once in order to overcome the fear in his country with the aid of the Buddha. One of his achievements is the manufacture of the collection of the sacred writings of Buddhism. The task was entrusted to Haeinsa Temple located in Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do. It is called Goryeo Daejanggyeong (Tripitaka Koreana). Originally, this average-sized tomb consisted of a terrace built on three floors with a pavilion on the first floor, a male figure sculpture on the second, and the main tomb on the third. There were once pieces of stone used for a porch around the grave, and stone-carved animals were arranged at each corner of the tomb but at the present day, only two male figure engravings among the four remain. The balcony was repaired recently and a stone barricade constructed at the bottom of the temple site. As a result of the repair works, the original form of the tomb cannot now be seen.

Location