The Allure of King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park
Address: San 5-19, Geumseong-dong, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do
Hello~! I'm Rilla Go, a Chungnam Province reporter!!
Today, I took a little trip to Gongju!
The place I visited this time is King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park.
To be honest, at first, when they said "Royal Tomb," I thought it would be a very rigid historical site, but when I actually went there, the atmosphere was completely different.
It felt like a large park where you could feel good just by walking around, and there were also well-organized exhibition halls and stories in between, making it a great date spot.
It was also really nice for families to come for a weekend outing.
In particular, King Muryeong's Tomb is the tomb of King Muryeong, the 25th king of Baekje.
It was accidentally discovered in 1971 and was immediately called the "discovery of the century" in Korean archeology, right?
Artifacts that I had only seen in textbooks were actually excavated here, so just standing on the site felt strangely overwhelming, and the Baekje era suddenly felt closer.
Today, I would like to slowly introduce the points I saw and felt here and the charms of King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park.
If you are planning a trip to Gongju, be sure to check it out!
▲ Gongju Tourist Information Center
Before entering King Muryeong's Tomb in Gongju, there is a Gongju Tourist Information Center right at the entrance.
The building is built in the traditional Korean Hanok style, so I felt that the atmosphere was changing little by little even before entering the historical site.
Here, you can get Gongju travel maps, information on King Muryeong's Tomb, Gongsanseong Fortress, museums, program information, and information on events of the day all at once, which is quite useful for first-time visitors.
There are many posters in front of the information center, and if you ask the staff directly, they will easily tell you about recommended routes or hidden spots.
I also stopped by for a while and got a simple course recommendation of "see here first today, then where is a good place to go next."
King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park itself is large, so if you are visiting for the first time, I recommend taking a map from here!
Now, let's pass the information center and go to the Royal Tombs Park.
▲ Map of King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park
If you walk a little further past the information center,
Right next to the entrance, there is a large information board where you can see the entire map of King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park at a glance.
The size is noticeable even from a distance, so it was so nice that even first-time visitors can immediately figure out "how should I go around?"
In particular, the reason why this information board is good is that the entire circulation of the Royal Tombs Park can be seen at a glance, and each point number (from entrance number 1 to number 10) is clearly marked, so it is much easier to get a sense of the walking route, viewing route, and photo zone location with this.
The Royal Tombs Park itself is larger than expected, and the path is naturally connected like a forest path, so if you go in without an information board, there are quite a few sections where you might think, "Where is this?"
So this information board is actually like a checkpoint at the starting point of the Royal Tombs Park.
On the left side of the map, there is also an explanation of the historical value and excavation process of King Muryeong's Tomb,
To be honest, even if the text looks long, if you read it once, you will immediately understand why this place is an important excavation site worldwide.
King Muryeong's Tomb, which was accidentally discovered in 1971 during drainage construction, is treated almost like a "miracle of modern Korean tomb excavation" in the archeological world.
Unlike other ancient tombs that are mostly found in a state of being looted, King Muryeong's Tomb remained in its complete form, and stone statues, gold ornaments, and document-type tomb stones were all found in their original form, playing a decisive role in the restoration of Baekje culture.
What I felt while looking at the map was that the entire area was created like a park, so it was perfect for taking a slow stroll rather than just looking at one royal tomb!
Before going up in earnest, it is much easier to organize the circulation with your eyes once here and then go in.
▲ Guardian animal statue in front of the ticket office
If you walk a little further from the entrance of the Royal Tombs Park, there is a 'guardian animal statue' in front of the ticket office.
If you actually see it, the size is quite large, and because of the unique heavy presence of the stone material, your eyes naturally turn to it even from a distance.
The guardian animal statue is an icon of King Muryeong's Tomb, and originally means a sacred guardian animal that protects the king's tomb.
In the past, it was believed to prevent evil spirits or bad energy from looting or damaging the tomb.
So, the fact that the guardian animal statue is located in the royal tomb space also contains the meaning of "this is a sacred area where the king is enshrined."
The expression on the statue is cuter than I thought, so many people passing by take pictures, and it is a surprisingly popular photo spot in the Royal Tombs Park.
▲ King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park Exhibition Hall
If you come down a little further past the ticket office,
Finally, the entrance to the 'King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park Exhibition Hall' appears like this.
As you can feel from the picture,
The entrance structure is completely like a 'tunnel entering the inside of an ancient tomb', so the atmosphere changes drastically even before entering.
The arched passage made of stone is a modern reproduction of the internal structure of the real King Muryeong's Tomb, so from the moment you enter, a quiet and solemn energy surrounds you.
Above the door, it says Exhibition Hall of Tomb of King Muryeong and Royal Tombs Gongju, so you can immediately see that this is not just a museum, but an 'official exhibition space' that professionally introduces actual artifacts from the royal tombs and the excavation process. And inside the exhibition hall, you can see a model that perfectly restores King Muryeong's Tomb, the actual artifacts of the king and queen (gold ornaments, crown decorations, etc.), the tomb structure at the time of excavation, and a well-organized exhibition that allows you to understand at a glance why King Muryeong's Tomb is so historically important.
From the outside, it looks like a modern building, but when you enter, the lighting is dim and the internal structure recreates the atmosphere of a tomb, so the entire space feels quiet and focused.
Now, shall we go inside the exhibition hall and explore the story of King Muryeong's Tomb in earnest?
▲ King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park Exhibition Hall
When you enter the exhibition hall, the first space you see is the 'Excavation Timeline' wall of King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park.
As shown in the picture, it is neatly organized by period, so you can grasp the flow at a glance of how King Muryeong's Tomb was discovered and researched through what process.
At first, I just thought, "Is this a timeline?" but when I read it up close, the content is quite interesting.
▲ Structure of King Muryeong's Tomb
If you go further inside the exhibition hall, there is a large information panel where you can see the entire structure of the royal tombs at a glance. The background is like an actual aerial photo, and the location and characteristics of each tomb are organized, so it was perfect for drawing the entire map in my head before going outside.
King Muryeong's Tomb is located in the center at point 7, and the appearance of various forms of ancient tombs from tomb No. 1 to tomb No. 6 gathered around it is visually very well organized.
On the left, tombs No. 5 and No. 6, which are brick tombs similar in structure to King Muryeong's Tomb, are lined up, and on the right, tombs No. 1, 2, and 3, which are centered on mounds made of earth, and tomb No. 4, which are quite different in form, are located. I was able to clearly understand this with just this one panel.
What's better than anything is that the walking route that runs through the entire Royal Tombs Park is shown at a glance, so when I actually go out and walk, I can figure out in advance without getting confused about "where this road leads to" or "what number tomb I am looking at now."
When you come for the first time, the ancient tombs may look similar and be easily confused, but thanks to this information board, the entire circulation of the Royal Tombs Park was neatly organized in my head, so I was able to set up the viewing circulation much more easily.
▲ Four Guardian Gods Mural
When I went a little further inside the exhibition hall, there were murals of the Four Guardian Gods on one side of the wall. At first, I just thought, "Is this a black and white photo?" but when I looked closely, it was a restoration of the four guardian gods, such as the Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Blue Dragon, that were drawn on the inside wall of King Muryeong's Tomb. The condition of the murals is old and a bit blurry, but that itself gives a strong feeling of "Ah, this is a trace that actually came from an ancient tomb..."
Below each guardian god's picture, there is also a restored color image, so it was nice to imagine "Ah, it would have been this color originally." In particular, the Black Tortoise is a combination of turtle + snake, so it is a bit unique, and the Vermilion Bird has a feeling of spreading like fire, so it catches my eye, and the White Tiger and Blue Dragon also have a reason to be placed differently in each direction, so it was surprisingly fun.
Rather than feeling like studying history,
"Wow, there are these kinds of paintings left in the ancient tomb?"
This was the section where this kind of exclamation came out first.
▲ Gold Ornament Artifacts (Accessories)
As you follow the exhibition space, there is a section where sparkling gold ornament artifacts suddenly catch your eye.
To be honest... I paused slightly at this part.
"Wow... the Baekje royal family people were really stylish?" Is this the feeling?
The artifacts are all restored items of King Muryeong and the Queen's accessories,
There are quite a variety of types, from crown decorations to earrings, bracelets, and necklaces.
In reality, they have been buried for over 1,500 years, so they may not be sparkling like this now,
If you imagine the original appearance at the time, the queen was wearing these gold decorations and moving around...
It's much more fancy and sophisticated than I thought.
In particular, the crown decoration (queen's crown decoration) hanging on the wall has incredible detail.
There are many delicate patterns such as leaves and flower shapes, so I can't help but exclaim, "How did they make this like this in that era...?"
Accessories such as bracelets, earrings, and necklaces are also on display below, and to be honest, the level of perfection is so high that the feeling is not much different from gold crafts made in modern times.
Baekje artisans were really great at handcrafting...
This section of the exhibition hall was a space where people took a lot of pictures and stayed for a long time.
Because it's not just a simple artifact, but the fact that it's "the actual fashion item of the old king and queen" makes it more interesting and eye-catching.
▲ Gold Pine Wood Coffin, Guardian Animal Statue
As I continued to look around the exhibition hall, another explanation panel came out like this.
If the gold ornaments I saw earlier gave the feeling of "the king used this kind of thing," this is a section that tells you how the tomb itself was made and what objects were guarding the tomb, so it was another kind of fun.
The first thing that catches my eye is the story of the coffin made of gold pine (Japanese pine)!
I analyzed the material of the coffin that came out of King Muryeong's Tomb, and it turned out that it was not just a regular pine tree, but a gold pine tree that came from Japan.
It is said to be a representative piece of evidence showing how actively Baekje and Japan exchanged, so I was more interested in reading the explanation.
"Wow... 1,500 years ago, countries were already exchanging these kinds of luxury materials?"
Right next to it, there is also a guardian animal statue (an imaginary animal that guards the tomb) that I saw outside earlier.
The one I saw earlier was the outdoor sculpture version, so it had a cute feeling, but the one here is more similar to the actual restored appearance, so it definitely has more of a 'guardian' atmosphere.
The detail of making the head and carving patterns on the body is quite elaborate, so it has a strangely addictive charmㅋㅋㅋ
And on the right, there are square small stone slabs attached in a row, and these are the epitaphs that tell the identity of King Muryeong and the Queen.
The reason why I was able to know exactly "who the owner of this tomb is" at the time of the ancient tomb excavation is thanks to this epitaph.
The names, dates of death, and ages of the king and queen are written on it, which is why the history textbook calls it "the discovery of a complete tomb that is rare in the world."
This section was more in-depth because I could learn how the tomb was made and what materials and symbols the king was surrounded by, rather than gorgeous artifacts.
▲ Restoration of Artifacts at the Time of Excavation
As I was looking around the exhibition hall, a space that seemed to have moved the inside of the tomb as it was suddenly appeared.
According to the explanation, this is an exhibition that restores the actual excavation of King Muryeong's Tomb, so it was a bit amazing.
If you look under the glass, there are artifacts such as jars and earthenware, metal rings, and the guardian animal statue that I saw earlier is also located right in the center, so it feels like the actual tomb scene has been reproduced. The lighting is also intentionally dark, so it feels like I'm looking at an actual excavation site, and it was a section that made me imagine, "Ah, the inside of the king's tomb is really like this..."
▲ Entrance to King Muryeong's Tomb
As I continued walking inside the exhibition hall, a space that reproduced the entrance to King Muryeong's Tomb as it was suddenly appeared. From the moment I saw it from a distance, the brick feeling was so realistic that I thought I was going into the real tomb for a moment and wondered, 'Uh..? Is it okay to go in here?' The 'Be careful of your head' sign on top is also because the actual structure is low, but that one detail made it even more real and fun.
If you take just a few steps inside, the atmosphere changes drastically. The brick pattern continues, and the narrow and quiet feeling unique to the inside of the tomb gradually comes to life, and even for a short time, I immediately imagined, "Ah, the inside of the royal tomb would have felt like this in the past..."
It's not just an entrance, but a section that recreates the entire atmosphere with quite a bit of care, so I thought, 'This is a real hands-on exhibition,' and I understand why people take a picture here. It was quite impressive even though it was a short section!
▲ Structure of King Muryeong's Tomb
As I followed the exhibition space, a large panel explaining the structure of King Muryeong's Tomb appeared. When I saw the entrance replica and came in earlier, I just thought, "It's a brick tomb~" but when I read the explanation here, I immediately understood why King Muryeong's Tomb is so famous.
The panel background itself is decorated like an actual brick pattern, so even while reading the explanation, I can't help but think, "Wow, they really stacked this one by one by hand...?" King Muryeong's Tomb is not just a roughly made tomb, but a structure in which each brick is precisely stacked with brick bricks, so the inner space itself looks very neat and stable.
If you read the explanation, it says that the brick size, slope, and ceiling shape were all designed in a completely calculated manner without being made roughly, and if you look at the actual interior photos, the shape is exactly rectangular, the walls are neat, and the ceiling is beautifully finished with a slope, so it was a moment when I felt once again that "Baekje's technology was really outstanding..."
In particular, if you look at the actual interior photos attached below, there are various patterns engraved on each wall, making it more fun to watch. It's not just a simple tomb, but a feeling that it has the proper formality of a real 'royal tomb'. This is the only space in the exhibition hall that explains the structure in such detail, so it was a section that people who want to know why King Muryeong's Tomb is special are sure to pay attention to.
▲ Bust of King Muryeong
As I went a little further inside the exhibition hall, a bust that restored the face of King Muryeong appeared. Perhaps because it was written in front of it, "King Muryeong, who revived Baekje," the atmosphere changed drastically the moment the light shone on it.
Even if you look at it in the picture, you can feel it, but in reality, the details such as the expression and skin texture are made very delicately, so it was a space that was difficult to pass by. Is it a moment when I stop for a moment and think, 'Ah, this is the famous King Muryeong...?'
In particular, since the crown decoration placed on his lap is also connected to the gold decoration restoration that I saw earlier, the imagination that "the king would have actually worn this and looked like this" naturally continued, and I felt that the story flowing through the entire exhibition hall was connected into one at the end.
If the first half of the exhibition was full of artifacts and structural explanations, here I felt like I was directly facing the 'person' King Muryeong, so it left a slightly subtle lingering feeling.
It was exactly the point where "Ah, I met the main character of this exhibition."
When I looked around the exhibition hall to the end,
I felt like, "Ah, I'm going to see King Muryeong's Tomb properly today."
Not only seeing the artifacts, but also the excavation process, structure, accessories used by the king and queen,
And after meeting King Muryeong's face like this at the end,
I felt that the entire story was neatly connected into one.
In fact, when I thought of King Muryeong's Tomb, I just thought of it as a historical site that I saw in history books,
But when I came here in person, it was much more vivid and fun,
The exhibition was better than I thought, so after taking a lap, there is a subtle lingering feeling.
If you are planning a trip to Gongju,
Be sure to stop by with a walk around the Royal Tombs Park.
It's good for walking, the pictures are pretty, and the exhibition hall is informative,
It was a perfect course to come lightly.
Today's record is up to here!
I'll be back with another fun travel review next time :)
King Muryeong's Tomb and Royal Tombs Park Exhibition Hall
37 Wangneung-ro, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do
* Visit date: 2025. 11. 22
Source :https://blog.naver.com/sinmunman/224090793442
No comments yet.
