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The Goguryeo Tombs Complex in North Korea is a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of 30 tombs from the Goguryeo kingdom. The tombs contain rock paintings depicting daily life and were likely used for kings and queens. Anak Tomb Number Three is the most famous, with intact murals and an epitaph providing historical information. Visiting the site is difficult due to North Korea’s inaccessibility.
The Goguryeo Tombs Complex is a series of tombs in North Korea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 2004. The site consists of thirty distinct tombs, all dating from the Goguryeo kingdom.
The kingdom of Goguryeo, with Baekje and Silla, was one of the three kingdoms of Korea. The kingdom was founded shortly before the year 0 and lasted until the end of the 7th century. In fact, the modern name of Korea comes from the Goryeo dynasty, which got its name from Goguryeo. A handful of artifacts from the Goguryeo period remain, as do the ruins of palaces, cities and, of course, tombs.
Although the current Goguryeo tomb complex contains only thirty tombs, there are more than 10,000 known tombs from this period in Korean history. The vast majority of these graves, however, are relatively unmarked. What makes the Goguryeo tomb complex unique is their inclusion of stunning rock paintings. Although there are around ninety tombs with such paintings, the Goguryeo Tombs Complex contains thirty of the most visually stimulating and historically important tombs.
The Goguryeo Tombs Complex were probably tombs used for people who held a special place in Goguryeo culture. Most of the tombs are thought to have been for the kings and queens of the dynasty, as well as close members of their families. Originally, most of the tombs in the Goguryeo Tombs Complex probably also contained riches, but they have all since been looted.
The murals painted on the walls of the Goguryeo tomb complex are colorful, detailed, and depict scenes from the daily life of the time. They offer a fascinating and beautiful insight into what life was like for those who used to live in the region. The tombs themselves are considered quite remarkable from an engineering standpoint and help elaborate the burial rituals of this six hundred year old dynasty.
The most famous and most visited of the tombs in the Goguryeo Tombs Complex is Anak Tomb Number Three. It was first discovered in 1949, and although the wealth that was inside had been stolen, the murals were still in near-perfect condition. The paintings, as well as the design of the tomb, have much in common with nearby Chinese tombs, and are somewhat different from other Goguryeo tombs.
What distinguishes Anak’s tomb number three from the other tombs in the complex is the fact that it still has an intact epitaph. Most scholars interpret the epitaph to mean that the tomb is of Dong Shou, an individual recorded in the Book of Jin. The epitaph is dated 357 and provides a considerable amount of information about the complicated political situation that existed between Gorguryeo and the Jin dynasty.
Due to North Korea’s relative inaccessibility, both politically and physically, visiting the Goguryeo tomb complex is not very feasible for most people. However, with enough persistence, this site can be explored and offers some truly remarkable examples of ancient Asian painting, as well as insights into life at the time.
