Royal Tomb of Heungdeok

The tomb of King Heungdeok, the 42nd ruler of Unified Silla, is located north of Gyeongju city.

Hello. Gyeongju, the capital of the Silla Kingdom for a thousand years, is a place visited by many tourists, and there are large ancient tombs scattered throughout the city.GyeongjuAbout 30 minutes north by car fromYangdong Folk VillageAbout 10 minutes away from the ethnic village is the tomb of the 42nd Silla king, Heungdeok.

The royal tomb comes into view as you pass through a lush and magnificent pine forest.

King Heungdeok's reign was relatively short, from 826 to 836, but during his reign he ruled South Jeolla Province.WandoIn the 19th century, the country developed sea routes connecting Silla with the Tang dynasty of China, Japan, and Arabia, and became a trading hub in Northeast Asia.CheonghaejinHe established the Cheonhejin Tea Ceremony and had tea seeds brought back by Kim Daeryeon of Silla from the Tang Dynasty of China planted in Jirisan, thus enabling tea cultivation throughout Korea.

Passing through a lush, splendid pine forest, you come across a broad lawn where two warrior statues with Arabian faces and two scholar statues face each other, and across the lawn you can see the Royal Tomb of Heungdeok (Historic Site No. 2), a circular tomb surrounded by protective stones of the twelve Chinese zodiac gods. On all four sides of the royal tomb, which is 2m in circumference, 30m in diameter and 65m high, four lion statues stand proudly as if to protect it.

There are three royal tombs of the same style in Gyeongju.
Besides the Heungdeok Royal Tomb, there is no other royal tomb of Silla that contains twelve zodiac gods, four lion statues, and statues of warriors and scholars.Hanging tombThis can be seen in the tombs of King Wonseong, the 38th king of Silla, and King Seongdeok, the 33rd king of Silla, in Gyeongbokgung, but the layout is slightly different, so if you are interested, be sure to check them out.

The story of King Xingdeok's tomb
The year King Heungdeok became king, his queen Lady Changhwa passed away, but the king, who only thought of his beloved queen, also passed away 11 years later. The king left a will that he be buried together with Lady Changhwa, and it is said that the tomb of King Heungdeok was located farther from the royal capital than other Silla royal tombs because of this. It is also said that fragments of a stone monument with the name "Heungdeok" engraved on it were discovered near the tomb, confirming that it was King Heungdeok's tomb.

World Heritage Site in northern GyeongjuYangdong Folk VillageIn the vicinity ofTamayama AcademyThere are also historical sites such as the Tomb of King Heungdeok, so why not check them out after your visit to the ethnic village?

Basic Information
spot name	Royal Tomb of Heungdeok [Gyeongju] Tomb of King Heungdeok
Address	Gyeongbuk Gyeongju-si Angang-eup Okdong-ri San 42 42
Admission fee	Free
Details	Historic Site No. 30