Royal tomb area of ​​Joseon Dynasty

Unesco's Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization has recognized the Royal Tomb of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea as a World Cultural Heritage in 2009.

Royal tomb area of ​​the Joseon Dynasty, South Korea

The Royal Tomb of the Joseon Dynasty is a complex of 40 tombs scattered in 18 locations built from 1408 to 1966. This royal tomb is built to commemorate the characters. He was part of the royal family and showed the authority of the royal family under Joseon .

The ancients were very delicate when they chose beautiful places to make this tomb. These places often have topographical features that have a mountain behind their backs, facing south in front of rivers, and ideally the mountains in the distance.

Along the grave, graves are the area to hold memorials and entrances. In addition to graves, there are other buildings that are also part of the tomb area, including a T-shaped wooden shrine , a tombstone storage house, a royal kitchen and the house of the watchman. look at this tomb area. The courtyard of the tomb area is decorated outside with stone objects drawing people and animals. Joseon tombs have completed 5,000 years of royal tomb architecture on the Korean peninsula .

The landscape around the Joseon Royal Tombs is built according to the principles of Korean feng shui , creating a subtle space for the cultural tradition of ancestor worship and the accompanying rituals. Royal tombs, arranged in the right order of the regions, from secular places to sacred places, together with unique buildings and objects are an ensemble of voices. echoes in the history of the Joseon Dynasty.

The oldest tomb in Korea was built from the Stone Age to the Bronze, which is Dolmen Tomb . Later, in the period of the Shilla kingdom (6th century), the tomb system developed according to certain rules such as a grave with a vent, the tomb foundation was lined with wood and stone covered. around and in the grave, above is covered by soil forming mounds. Subsequently, the tombs have a unique character: placing 4 stone tigers on the 4 directions of the tomb, before the grave to the stone table, the tomb is built on a flat ground and also on the mountain . To during the Ly dynasty (918-1392), the construction tombs still obey the rule under the Tan La period but there are some new ones: there are stone lanterns, stone statues are placed more around the mound, Each tomb was built with a T-shaped temple and carved beer .

Not only of historical value, the royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are also extremely beautiful stone structures with exquisite design and perfect landscape planning.

By the Joseon Dynasty, the tombs were more consistent, and compared to the tombs under the Ly Dynasty there were many new variations. The mausoleum is built on the hill, divided into 3 areas: burial mound area at the top, the area between the works and the gate area and decorative stone statues at the bottom.

The royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty were divided into five stages of development including: The period of succession of the Ly Dynasty of the Ly Dynasty; The appearance of burial rites; The development stage applies feng shui calculation when building; The appearance of stone statues; The stage of stone carvings became popular and used in tombs.

It can be said that the Joseon Royal Tombs is a striking example of a population structure that is harmoniously constructed between the use and the surrounding landscape. This work has thus shown an important stage in the development of culture to build a grave in Korean tombs in particular and Asia in general.

The Joseon Royal Tombs have a direct relationship with the tradition of ancestor worship through the implementation of rituals. During the Joseon Dynasty, royal ancestor worship ceremonies were held regularly. However, at the end of the Joseon dynasty with political mutations, these rituals had no conditions to organize regularly; instead they were organized annually by the Royal Family Organization and the people. people also worship their own at each royal tomb.

The urbanization process has affected the landscape of some locations in this tomb area (Seolleung, Heolleung and Uireung). In particular, there was a period of construction of other structures near the tomb area allowed to affect the environment and the general landscape of the area. However, shortly afterwards, strict legal provisions were also introduced to ensure that the buffer zone's development process was under control, absolutely not to affect the heritage. Therefore, to this day, the Royal Tomb of Seoul still retains its authenticity even though it has been repaired and restored, but the original functions of the buildings remain the same.

Currently, the Royal Tomb of the Joseon Dynasty is of particular interest and is one of the legacies of attracting tourists in Korea.