Myeongdong Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception also known as Myeongdong Cathedral, is a prominent Latin-rite Roman Catholic church located in the Myeongdong neighborhood of Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Seoul, Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the highest Catholic prelate in the country.
Dedicated in honor of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the principal patroness of Korea and the Korean people, the cathedral is a community landmark and a notable symbol of Catholicism in Korea. The cathedral church is one of the earliest and most notable examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Korea.

Structural details

The original church was constructed with twenty types of locally fired red and gray bricks. The main building rises to 23m high, while the steeple, which contains a clock, rises to 45m. It was designated National Historic Site #258 on November 22, 1977.
The interior of the church is ornately decorated with religious artwork. Stained glass windows depict the Nativity of Jesus and Adoration of the Magi, Jesus with the Twelve Apostles, and the Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary. The windows were restored to their original condition in 1982 by artist Lee Nam-gyu.

The crypt of the cathedral lies directly beneath the main altar. The crypt contains the relics of nine Korean Church martyrs. Two of the martyrs' identities are unknown. The remaining five are Bishop Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert (the second Bishop of the Church in Korea), Father Maubant, Father Chastan Kim Sung-woo Antonio, and Choi Gunghwan Francesco. A special pilgrimage Holy Mass takes place every weekday morning in the Crypt Chapel.
On the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the church in 1948, a French statue of Our Lady of Lourdes bearing the title “the Immaculate Conception” was erected behind the church property. On August 27, 1960, Archbishop Paul Roh Ki-nam consecrated the grotto and dedicated it towards Korean national peace.

History

Christianity was heavily persecuted in Joseon-era Korea. Still, interest in it grew as an academic novelty, notably among members of the Silhak (실학; "practical learning") school, attracted to what they saw as its egalitarian values. Catholicism gained ground as a belief in the 19th century through the work of French missionaries, the persecutions of whom led to an 1866 French expedition.

After the Joseon dynasty concluded a commercial treaty with United States in 1882, Jean M. Blanc, Bishop of Korea, sought land to build a mission. Under the name Kim Gamilo, he acquired a vacant lot on Jonghyeon (Chong-Hyen), meaning "Bell Hill"; due to its proximity to a temple, Koreans had declined to build there. An education center was constructed, and plans to build a church placed under the supervision of French priest Eugene Coste at the conclusion of a commercial treaty between Korea and France in 1887.

Emperor Gojong held the ceremony of laying the first stone on August 5, 1892. Construction cost around US$60,000, supported by the Paris Foreign Missions Society. Because of the First Sino-Japanese War, however, and the subsequent death of Fr. Coste, the inauguration of the cathedral was postponed for several years. On May 29, 1898, it was finally dedicated and consecrated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin. At its construction, it was the largest building in Seoul.

In 1900, the relics of the Korean Martyrs who died in the 1866 persecution were moved to its crypt from the seminary in Yongsan-gu.
The Roman Catholic clergy were among the leading critics of South Korea's military rule in the 1970s and 1980s, and Myeongdong Cathedral became a center of Minjung political and labor protest as well as a sanctuary for the protesters; indeed, it was nicknamed the "Mecca" of pro-democracy activists. Catholic and future President Kim Dae-jung held a rally at the cathedral in 1976 to demand the resignation of President Park Chung Hee, and some 600 student-led protesters staged a hunger strike inside in 1987 after the torture and death of university student Park Jong-chol.

The cathedral remains a popular spot for protesters, due to the government's previous disinclination to arrest protesters inside church property. In 2000, the cathedral attempted to officially ban protesters who did not have prior approval after a protest of telecommunications labor unions beat female churchgoers and vandalized church property.

Geobukseon(The Turtle ship)

The Turtle ship, also known as Geobukseon (거북선), was a type of large Korean warship that was used intermittently by the Royal Korean Navy during the Joseon Dynasty from the early 15th century up until the 19th century. It was used alongside the standard Korean Panokseon warships in the fight against invading Japanese naval ships. The ship's name derives from its protective shell-like covering.

The first references to older, first generation turtle ships, known as Gwiseon (귀선; 龜船), come from 1413 and 1415 records in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which mention a mock battle between a gwiseon and a Japanese warship. However, these early turtle ships soon fell out of use as Korea’s naval preparedness decreased during a long period of relative peace.

Turtle ships participated in the war against Japanese naval forces that supported Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attempts to conquer Korea from 1592-1598. Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin is credited with designing the ship. His turtle ships were equipped with at least five different types of cannons. Their most distinguishable feature was a dragon-shaped head at the bow (front) that could launch cannon fire or flames from the mouth. Each was also equipped with a fully covered deck to deflect arrow fire, musket-shots, and incendiary weapons.^[6] The deck was covered with iron spikes to discourage enemy men from attempting to board the ship. Claims that it was iron-plated remain controversial (see section on decking).

Tapsa (Pagoda Temple) in Jinan

Tapsa (Pagoda Temple) and the Stone Pagodas of Mount Mai is a small Korean Buddhist Temple complex found in the Maisan (Horse Ear Mountain) in Jinan County, North Jeolla Province, South Korea.

Origins

In 1885 a lone Buddhist hermit layman Yi Gap Yong (1860–1957), at the age 25, came to Maisan to meditate and cultivate himself. Over the next 30 years Yi Gap Yong constructed, single handed, as many as 120 conical natural stone pagodas, all without mortar.

Construction

Statue of Yi Gap Yong among the stone pagodas

Extracted from www.channelnewsasia.com: Yi Gap Yong constructed the stone pagodas here incorporating the eight progressive positions of Zhuge Liang. Using this method, stones are first laid in a circular configuration before placing additional stones inside this circle. More stones are then placed in position to form a conical pyramid.

This structure is next topped off with a flat-shaped stone. To complete the pagoda another flat stone, in a yin and yang order, is added over and over until the desired shape and height of the tower is achieved.
Small pebbles are placed in the gaps between the larger stones to make the tower more stable.

Yi Gap Yong piled all of the stones, one by one, without the aid of mechanical devices or assistance. The stones for the smaller pagodas were all obtained locally but many for the larger pagodas, which can reach as high as 9m/30 ft, were gathered from the streams, rivers and mountains throughout Korea to assure their harmony with their spiritual energy.

Temple today

Visitors stroll through the Tapsa Temple grounds

The Tapsa Temple complex is found on Maisan (Horse Ear Mountain) under the cliff, south of Maibong (peak) within the Maisan Provincial Park complex, where today there remains at least 80 of Yi Gap Yong's Pagodas.
"Bizarre" is a term often used to describe the appearance of the somewhat alien looking landscape. The style of the stone pagodas found here is very unusual and quite different from that of the stone pagodas, typical of the Shilla era, that employed fine stone cutting techniques. It is this unusual appearance that draws so many visitors to Tapsa each year.

Many years after Yi Gap Yong started his project the site became a Buddhist Temple and Yi became an ordained monk. A white statue of Yi Gap Yong, holding a wooden walking stick, rests comfortably at the foot of his temple complex.
Visitors to Maisan Provincial Park frequently visit Eunsusa (Buddhist Temple) and/or Geumdangsa (Buddhist Temple) on the way to, or from, the better known Tapsa that lies between these two temples on the path through the park.

Lee Sun-shin

Lee Sun-shin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598, Korean: 이순신, Hanja: 李舜臣) was a Korean naval commander, famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty, and is well-respected for his exemplary conduct on and off the battlefield not only by Koreans, but by Japanese Admirals as well. Military historians have compared his naval genius to that of Admiral Horatio Nelson. His title of Samdo Sugun Tongjesa (Hangul : 삼도수군통제사, Hanja :三道水軍統制使), literally meaning "Naval Commander of the Three Provinces," was the title for the commander of the Korean navy until 1896.


Perhaps his most remarkable military achievement occurred at the Battle of Myeongnyang. Outnumbered 333 ships to 13, and forced into a last stand with only his minimal fleet standing between the Japanese Army and Seoul, Yi delivered one of the most astonishing defeats in military history.
Despite never having received naval training or participating in naval combat prior to the war, and constantly being outnumbered and outsupplied, he went to his grave as one of few admirals in world history who remained undefeated after commanding as many naval battles as he did (at least 23).

Yi died at the Battle of Noryang on December 16, 1598. With the Japanese army on the verge of being completely expelled from the Korean Peninsula, he was mortally wounded by a single bullet. His famous dying words were, "The battle is at its height...beat my war drums...do not announce my death."

The royal court eventually bestowed various honors upon him, including a posthumous title of Chungmugong (충무공, 忠武公, Duke of Loyalty and Warfare), an enrollment as a Seonmu Ildeung Gongsin (선무일등공신, 宣武一等功臣, First-class military order of merit during the reign of Seonjo), and two posthumous offices, Yeonguijeong (영의정, 領議政, Prime Minister), and the Deokpung Buwongun (덕풍부원군, 德豊府院君, The Prince of the Court from Deokpung). Yi remains a venerated hero among Koreans today.

Gwangju

Gwangju (officially known as Gwangju Metropolitan City; Korean pronunciation: [kwaŋdʑu]) is the sixth largest city in South Korea.
It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office moved to the southern village of Namak in Muan County in 2005.
Gwang (광, hanja 光) means "light" and Ju (주, hanja 州) means "province." Areas of exquisite scenery along the outskirts of the city gave birth to gasa, a form of Korean classical poetry. Located in the center of the agricultural Jeolla region, the city is also famous for its rich and diverse cuisine.

History

The city was established in 57 BC, and has been a major political and economic centre of Korea ever since. It was one of the administrative centres of Baekje during the Three Kingdoms Period.
In 1929, during the period of Japanese rule, a confrontation between Korean and Japanese students in the city turned into a regional demonstration, which culminated in one of the major nationwide uprisings against Japanese rule during the colonial period.

Modern industry was established in Gwangju with the construction of a railway to Seoul. Some of the industries that took hold include cotton textiles, rice mills and breweries. Construction of a designated industrial zone in 1967 encouraged marked growth in industry, especially in the sectors linked to the automobile industry.

In May 1980, civil demonstrations took place in Gwangju against the newly installed military government of Chun Doo-hwan resulting in hundreds of civilians being killed by the Korean Military. The demonstrations were suppressed by military forces, including elite units of the Special Operations Command. Most commentators agree that the suppression was characterized by its egregious brutality, including several incidents where military forces fired automatic weapons into crowds of armed demonstrators. After civilian rule was reinstated, a national cemetery was established honoring the victims of the incident.

In 1986, Gwangju separated from Jeollanam-do to become a Directly Governed City (Jikhalsi), and then became a Metropolitan City (Gwangyeoksi) in 1995.
Gwangju is the main campaign of the liberal Democratic United Party, and its predecessors.

Jeondong Cathedral

전동 성당은 한국 천주교회 최초의 순교자인 윤지충 바오로(尹持忠, 1759-1791년)와 권상연 야고보(權尙然, 1751-1791년)가 1791년 신해박해 때에 처형당한 풍남문(豊南門)이 있던 바로 그 자리에 세워진 성당으로 순교지를 보존하고 있는 신앙의 요람이다.

Mokpo Modern History Museum

Mokpo Gatbawi

Old Consulate of Japan in Mokpo

Tourism of Mokpo

Museums

Museums in Mokpo are mostly located near Gatbawi street. The city concentrated its ability to invest researching and exhibiting space along this area. National maritime museum is one of the oldest and the only organ for having capacity to restore traditional way of navigation and types of Korean traditional ship. The official terminology of the organ was changed in 2009 as the Research institute for maritime history in 2009 to supplement some functions of the center. The reasons can be explicable in that Yellow sea has been the trade route between Chinese culture and Korean peninsula having large relics and stances of cultural exchange since three kingdoms period in early historic period.


Mokpo Natural history museum possesses the large number of relics having several exhibition rooms holding fossils from all over the world. Originally started as one building, it incorporated the cultural heritage hall as its wing to take local relics since prehistoric years. The museum has worked on collecting samples and data of organisms from the fossils of dinosaurs to insects and cetaceans found in Yellow sea. In terms of dinosaurs, the nest of eggs, found in Aphae island, was restored and disclosed to public in 2010. The length of egg reach more than 40 cm respectively, proved to be dated 80 million years ago, during Mesozoic period. Korea Forest Service chose the museum as the organ of recording its samples of insects in national database for biological resources in 2009.

Mokpo Ceramic Museum opened its hall in 2008 on the basis of supports from the government to set up ceramics, largely based on modern usuage and invited chinaware from the notable manufacturers. Meanwhile, Literature hall of Mokpo (in Hangul:목포문학관) is not far from the ceramic museum to host literature class for general public taking features writer or novels, helping growth of local demands for lifelong learning. The program of facility gains aides from Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism since 2010, visiting schools to inform local history of writing and literature.

Yudal Mountain

Yudal Mountain(in Hangul:유달산, in Hanja:儒達山) is the mountain located at Mokpo city, Jeollanam-do of South Korea(228m). It belongs to the 8 sceneries of the city as a symbol and pride. At the summit, thousand of islands can be seen with several hills of weird looking rocks. The nickname of the mountain is Mountain Gaegol, which refers to Mountain Geumgang in North Korea called during summer. 3 highest peaks are called first, second and madang bawi(rock). The momumental limestone lies within the mountain ; the first is celebrating General Yi Soon Shin, the other for famous singer Lee Nan Young.

The city has brought up the project of city of light, while the mountain also gained shed of nightlights whole around its flora. It has provoked critical rebukement from civil organizations to stop the contaminated pollution of lights for fauna. For example, association of environment in Gwangju and Jeollanamdo chose this incident as the 10th worst attack for environment in 2006.

Yudal Mt. Flower festival annually holds event in April or May to call for many people. The spectacle seats when climbing on the summit to look over Dadohaehaesang National Park with hundreds of islands within the scope. The height(228m) is not the high whereas the sunset gained quite fame.

Another fame heads to the first built sculpture-theme park in South Korea. In 1982, the park was initiated for outdoor exhibition to attract several donations or lease from the artists. The expiration provoked crisis for the existence of itself, bringing up the city's efforts to persuade other artists and propel the deals. In 2008, the subjects of 'Nature, Culture and Sculpture' was chosen to represent the emblems of Mokpo.
To the proximity, the halls for ecology and oriental orchids have opened to public.

Overview of Mokpo

Mokpo (Mokpo-si) is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, located at the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea and Dadohae National Maritime Park. The port of Mokpo is not far from Yudal mountain.
During the Japanese Occupation (1910–1945), Mokpo served as a crucial port for both commercial ventures and transportation, owing to its convenient location along the sea routes between the Japanese archipelago and the Chinese mainland. The large number of islands surrounding Mokpo have also served as a protective barrier, making the city less vulnerable to high tides and tsunami. During Japanese occupation, the city had large residential areas, which are now the city's historic districts, to accommodate the Japanese colonists. However, after the end of World War II, and following Korea's independence in 1945, the city slowly lost its position as a host to major government organizations and wartime industries. Mokpo's shortage of secondary industries and thus jobs caused a serious population drain. As a result, it was reduced to a mid-sized city of the Honam region.

Former president Kim Dae-jung earned full support from Mokpo's electorates during the presidential election in 1997, while other political rivals were accused of attempting to underdevelop the city in order to decrease its population. The city has attempted to improve its status in South Jeolla province, in spite of facing economic depression and complaints of many residents in the original downtown section.

Etymology

The term Mokpo (木浦 in Hanja) literally translates as "the harbour with a large portion of forests." This terminology initially appeared in the Goryeosa (History of Goryeo). Therefore, some historians argue that the city's name referred to trees within the region of the port of Mokpo. Another theory suggests that the "mok" in the city's name refers to "the throat," implying that Mokpo is as important to the Yellow Sea as the throat is to a human being. This theory alludes to the region's large production of cotton, which was allotted by Japanese colonists for delivery to Tokyo.

Yangdong Folk Village

Yangdong Folk Village (Yangdong Village of Gyeongju) is a traditional village from the Joseon Dynasty. The village is located in Gangdong-myeon, sixteen kilometers northeast of Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, along the Hyeongsan River.
Mt. Seolchang stands to the north of the village. The village is designated as Important Folklore Materials No. 189 by the South Korean government.
The size, degree of preservation, numerous cultural assets, traditionalism, beautiful natural setting all contribute to the importance of Yangdong Village. It is also a fine example of the yangban (Korean aristocracy) lifestyle and Neo-Confucian traditions.
The village is listed by the South Korean government with UNESCO as a World Heritage site with Hahoe Folk Village in 2010.

 Overview

A man in hanbok, traditional Korean costume weaving a basket in Yangdong village

The village was founded by Son So (孫昭 1433-1484). The household of the Wolseong Son clan was placed on an auspicious site according to Korean theories of pungsu (geomancy). Son So and his wife, the daughter of Yu Bok Ha had a daughter who married Yi Beon of the Yeogang Yi family. The marriage produced one of the eighteen sages of Korea, Yi Unjeok. The village of Yangdon has continued since its auspicious beginning in the 15th century.

Although some of the village is unoccupied today, the overall the village has over 160 tile-roofed and thatched-roof homes built throughout the dense forest. Fifty-four historic homes over 200 years old have also been preserved. The village preserves folk customs as well as traditional buildings of traditional Joseon Dynasty architecture. Seobaekodang is the primary home of the Wolseong Son Family. Mucheomdang, is the primary house of the Yeogang Yi family (Treasure No. 411). Hyangdan is National Treasure No. 412. Ihayangjeon and Simsujeong pavilions, and the Ganghakdang village school are also notable structures of the village as well as Gwangajeong (Treasure No. 442) and Sonsoyeongjeong (Treasure No. 1216).

The village follows the topography of the mountains and valleys and is shaped like an auspicious Hanja character. This arrangement has been carefully preserved. The homes of the Wolseong Son and Yeogang Yi clans, as well as their descendants' homes are located on the high ground of the mountains and valleys. The lower class homes, characterized by their thatched roofs were built on lower ground. The village's organization highlights the severe social stratification characteristic of Joseon Dynasty society. Prince Charles visited Yangdong in 1993.

dolmen

A dolmen, also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, or quoit, is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone (table), although there are also more complex variants. Most date from the early Neolithic period (4000 to 3000 BC). Dolmens were usually covered with earth or smaller stones to form a barrow, though in many cases that covering has weathered away, leaving only the stone "skeleton" of the burial mound intact.

It remains unclear when, why, and by whom the earliest dolmens were made. The oldest known dolmens are in Western Europe, where they were set in place around 7000 years ago, at the same time as the ancient civilisations of Egypt, India, and the Middle East. Archaeologists still do not know who erected these dolmens, which makes it difficult to know why they did it. The most widely accepted theory is that all dolmens are tombs or burial chambers. Human remains, sometimes accompanied by artifacts, have been found in or close to them, which could be scientifically dated. There is however no firm evidence that even this theory is correct. It has been impossible to prove that these archaeological remains date from the time when the stones were set in place.

Dolmen sites

Crucuno dolmen in Plouharnel, Brittany, France.

Lancken-Granitz dolmen, Germany

Asia

Korea

The largest concentration of dolmen in the world is found on the Korean peninsula. With an estimated 35,000 dolmen, Korea alone accounts for nearly 40% of the world’s total.
The largest distribution of these is on the west coast area of South Korea.
Three specific UNESCO World Heritage sites at Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa by themselves account for over 1,000 dolmen.
The Korean word for dolmen is goindol (hangul:고인돌). Serious studies of the Korean megalithic monuments were not undertaken until relatively recently, well after much research had already been conducted on dolmen in other regions of the world. After 1945, new research is being conducted by Korean scholars.

Korean dolmen exhibit a morphology distinct from the Atlantic European dolmen.
In 1981 a curator of Seoul's National Museum of Korea, Gon-Gil Ji, classified Korean dolmen into two general types: northern and southern. The boundary between them falls at the Bukhan River although examples of both types are found on either side. Northern style dolmens stand above ground with a four sided chamber and a megalithic roof (also referred to as "table type"), while southern style dolmens are normally built into the ground and contain a stone chest or pit covered by a rock slab.

Korean dolmen can also be divided into 3 main types: the table type, the go-table type and the unsupported capstone type. The dolmen in Ganghwa is a northern-type, table-shaped dolmen and is the biggest stone of this kind in South Korea, measuring 2.6 by 7.1 by 5.5 metres. There are many sub-types and different styles. Southern type dolmen are associated with burials but the reason for building northern style dolmen is uncertain.

Due to the vast numbers and great variation in styles, no absolute chronology of Korean dolmen has yet been established. It is generally accepted that the Korean megalithic culture emerged from the late Neolithic age, during which agriculture developed on the peninsula, and flourished throughout the Bronze Age. Thus, it is estimated that the Korean dolmen were built in the first millennium BC.

How and why Korea has produced so many dolmen are still poorly understood. There is no current conclusive theory on the origin of Korea's megalithic culture, and so it is difficult to determine the true cultural character of Korean dolmen. A few northern style dolmens are found in Manchuria and the Shandong Peninsula. Off the peninsula, similar specimens can be found in smaller numbers, but they are often considerably larger than the Korean dolmen.
 It is a mystery as to factors caused this culture to flourish so extensively only on the Korean peninsula and its vicinity in Northeast Asia.

Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites

The Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites are the location of hundreds of stone dolmen which were used as grave markers and for ritual purposes during the first millennium BCE when the Megalithic Culture was prominent on the Korean Peninsula. The sites were designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. Korea is said to contain more than 40% of the worlds dolmen, which are mostly concentrated in these three sites.


The megalithic stones are invaluable because they mark the graves of the ruling elite. Pottery, comma-shaped jewels, bronzes, and other funerary artifacts have been excavated from these dolmen. The culture of the people during this time can be gleaned from the evidence left by the dolmen. Additionally, the stones show how stone was quarried, transported, and used to build dolmen.

Dolmen in Korea have been dated to the seventh century BCE in locations such as Gochang and the practice ended around the third century BCE. The dolmen culture is linked with the Neolithic and bronze cultures of Korea.
Excavation at the sites did not begin until 1965. Since, then multiple digs have been sponsored and an extensive program of inventory and preservation has been initiated by the Korean government.

Description

Dolmen are generally classified in two types in East Asia. The table/northern-type and the go-board/southern-type. In the former, four stones were positioned to make the walls of a box and were capped by a stone which lay on top of the supports. The latter is characterized by underground burial with stones that supported the capstone.

Gochang Dolmen Site

This group of dolmen are the largest and most varied. They are known as the Jungnim-ri dolmens and are centered in Maesan village, Gochang County, North Jeolla province.
The dolmen were built from east to west at the foot of a series of hills at an altitude of 15 to 50 meters/49 feet to 164 feet. Generally, the capstones of the dolmens are around 1 to 5.8 meters/3.2 to 19 feet in length and may weigh up to 225 tons. 442 dolmen have been documented and classified based on the size of the capstone.
This group is believed to have been constructed around the seventh century BCE.
The Gochang Dolmen Site is listed as Historic Site #391.

Hwasun Dolmen Sites

Found in Hwasun County, South Jeolla, these dolmen are also located on the slopes of hills and follow the Jiseokgang river. The Hyosan-ri group contains 158 dolmen and the Dasin-ri group, 129. These dolmen are less well preserved than the Jungnim-ri group. The quarry where some of the stones of this group were carved out has been located. This group is dated to around the sixth or fifth century BCE.

Ganghwa Dolmen Sites

These dolmen are located on Ganghwa Island, Ganghwa County, Incheon. They are located on the slopes of mountains and are thus higher in elevation than their counterparts. These dolmen are believed to be earliest ones made because the dolmen groups in Bugeun-ri (부근리, in Hajeom-myeon) and Gocheon-ri (고천리, in Naega-myeon) resemble the early dolmen. However, this has not been conclusively proved.
A notable dolmen at Ganghwa is a northern/table-type dolmen where it was believed ancestral rites were performed. It is the biggest stone in South Korea and measures at 2.6 × 7.1 × 5.5 meters. This probably weighs between 150 and 225 tons.

Taejo of Joseon

Taejo of Joseon (October 11, 1335 – May 24, 1408; r. 1392–1398), born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty. He was posthumously raised to the rank of Emperor in 1899 by Gojong, the Gwangmu Emperor, who had proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897.
Taejo's father Yi Ja-chun was a minor Mongol official, but his ethnicity was Korean. Taejo joined the Goryeo army and rose through the ranks, seizing the throne in 1392. He abdicated in 1398 during the strife between his sons and died in 1408.

Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty refers to the 40 tombs of members of the Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). These tombs are scattered in over 18 locations across South Korea. They were built to honour and respect the ancestors and their achievements, and assert their royal authority. The tombs have been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2009.

Structure of the Tombs

The royal tombs can be divided into three main parts:

The part around Jeongjagak

It is the meeting point between the dead and the living.The area around Hongsalmun gate is the space for the living.

The area just past the gate

This is the space between the earthly and the holy. This is the area where the spirits of the kings and queens meet their earthly worshippers. This area also contains the Jeongjagak shrine, the Subokbang, and the Suragan buildings.

The sacred ground of the grave mounds

This area also includes the wall, and the other stone structures.


Other Important Structures of the Tombs

Muninseok Statues of scholars placed on the left and right sides of the Jangmyeongdeung lantern.

Muinseok Statue of a soldier said to be guarding the king and is placed below the Muninseok.

Seongma A horse statue.

Yegam It is located on the left-side corner behind the Jeongjagak and is used for burning the wrtten prayes after a burial service.

Bigak A building which has a stone monument where the names of the king and the queen are written at the front, while at the back was written the list of the king's accomplishments.

Jeongjagak This is where memorial services are held.

Chamdo These are two stone-covered paths that leads to the Jeongjagak. The higher path is called Sindo (The Path of the Gods), while the lower path is called Eodo (The Path Of the King). Only the Eodo path can be used by visitors in accordance to Korean custom.

Subokbang This is the living quarter of the officer guarding the tomb.

Suragan This is where the food for the memorial services are brought and prepared.

Baewi This is where the king and memorial service officials knelt in honor of the deceased king. It is also called Panwi or Eobaseok.

Hongsalmun This is the gate with two red cylindrical pillars.

Tombs

The tombs are classified into two types. Tombs of the kings and queens and those posthumously granted the title of king or queen, were interred in neung-type tombs. Crown princes and their wives, as well as the parents of royalty, were interred in won-type tombs. The royal tombs are scattered over 18 locations, with many of them located 40 kilometers from Hanseong (present-day Seoul). Indeed, the Jangneung tomb is in Yeongwol, Gangwon-do, while the Yeongneung tombs are in Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do. Tombs were made for individuals as well as family groups. There are 40 neung-type and 13 won-type tombs, thus creating a total of 53 royal tombs.


Joseon-era royal tombs followed the guidelines outlined in Chinese Confucian texts, such as the Book of Rites (Li Ji) and the Rites of Zhou (Zhou Li). Many factors went into consideration when deciding the location of a tomb, such as the distance from Hanyang, the distance in relation to other royal tombs, the accessibility of the location, and Korean traditions of pungsu (geomancy). The tomb construction also took into account traditional burial rituals of Korea and the natural environment.

There now follows a list (in alphebatical order) of the individual (or clusters of) tombs. There are two more royal tombs from the Joseon Dynasty in Kaesong, North Korea, namely Jereung (제릉) (the tomb of Queen Sinui, who was King Taejo's first consort) and Hureung (후릉) (the tomb of King Jeongjong and Queen Jeongan).

Seolleung and Jeongneung (선릉&정릉)

Jeongneung: Seolleung and Jeongneung are in the south of Seoul. Jeongneung is not to be confused with its namesake on the southern slopes of Bukhansan, also in Seoul. The tombs are in a park, the entrance of which is 340 metres from Seolleung Station.