Seoul｜Visiting Seonjeongneung to learn about the Feng Shui of Joseon royal tombs and the sorrow of the emperors after their death

Seonjeongneung is a less popular tourist attraction, but it is a world cultural heritage site that allows you to get a glimpse of the exquisiteness of the Joseon Dynasty's mausoleum area. Let's start with the etiquette system. North Korea follows China's Zhou Li and Book of Rites, and also refers to the Gunwon Mausoleum of the first king Yi Seong-gye. Walking into the Hongjian Gate is like walking into the Japanese Torii, which is equivalent to walking into the sacred area. There are two stone roads, the high one is the Shinto for gods to walk on, and the low one is the Imperial Road for emperors to walk on when offering sacrifices. A T-shaped pavilion for sacrificial offerings was built in front of the tomb. The mausoleums are all located with the Azure Dragon on the left and the White Tiger on the left, backed by mountains and surrounded by them. There are curved walls outside, and the tomb is dug ten feet below the top of the tomb. Next to it are two pairs of stone sheep to drive away the evil things in the world, and two pairs of stone tigers to guard the mausoleum. On the outer edge are the stones of scholars, warriors, and stone horses. After talking about Feng Shui, let’s talk about Seonneung and Jeongneung. Seonneung is the tomb of King Seongjong and his second wife, Queen Jeonghyeon. King Seongjong died at the age of 38 in the Daejojeon of Changdeok Palace due to his efforts in state affairs. Queen Jeonghyeon first raised Yeonsangun, the son of the deposed queen, and later supported her own son Jungjong. She died at the age of 69 in Gyeongbokgung Palace and was finally buried in Seolleung with King Seongjong. However, King Jungjong was not as lucky as his wife who were buried together. At first, the Jeongneung Tomb was built next to the Heileung Tomb of his second wife, Queen Janggyeong. Later, his second wife, Queen Munjeong, moved King Jungjong's tomb to its current location, intending to bury him together. However, due to frequent flooding during the rainy season, they had to build the Taerung Tomb separately. King Jungjong was also buried in four different places with his three queens (Queen Dangyeong, Queen Janggyeong, and Queen Munjeong). The affairs of the imperial family, which were once powerful, also reeked of power struggles. During the Imjin War, the Seonjeong Tomb was severely damaged when the invading Japanese dug up and burned coffins. 📍Address: 1 Seolleung-ro 100-gil, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea #2月好去2025