Seoul Heonreung (King Taejong & Queen Wongyeong) and Inreung (King Sunjo & Queen Sunwon) [UNESCO World Heritage]

About this place

Heonneung is the tomb of Taejong (r. 1400–1418), the 3rd king of Joseon, and his consort Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (1365–1420). It takes the form of a twin tomb (ssangneung), with the two burial mounds placed side by side within a single low surrounding wall (gokjang); viewed from the front, the left (western) mound is Taejong's and the right (eastern) mound is Queen Wongyeong's. In 1420 (2nd year of King Sejong), Queen Wongyeong died first and her tomb was built at the present site. When her tomb was constructed, Taejong prepared his own burial place in advance. Two years later, in 1422 (4th year of Sejong), Taejong passed away and his tomb was built to the west of the queen's, forming the layout seen today. Both mounds are enclosed by stone screens (byeongpungseok) and stone balustrades (nangganseok); the stone screens are carved with the twelve zodiac deities as well as vajra and vajra-bell motifs. Arranged around the mounds are civil and military stone figures, stone horses, an altar stone, a stone lantern, a soul-resting stone table (honyuseok), stone pillars, and stone sheep and tigers. In particular, the civil and military figures, stone horses, sheep, and tigers were placed in double the usual number compared with other royal tombs, following the system of the Hyeon and Jeong tombs of King Gongmin of Goryeo and his consort Princess Noguk. In the stele pavilion below the tomb stand two spirit-path steles: one erected after Taejong's death, and another re-erected in 1695 (21st year of King Sukjong) after the original had been damaged. Inneung is the tomb of Sunjo (r. 1800–1834), the 23rd king of Joseon, and Empress Sunwon of the Kim clan (1789–1857). It takes the form of a joint-burial tomb (hapjangneung), enshrining the king and queen within a single mound; following the principle of 'right superior, left inferior,' Sunjo lies on the left and Empress Sunwon on the right when viewed from the front. When Sunjo died in 1834 (34th year of his reign), his tomb was built the following year near Jangneung (tomb of Injo) in Gyoha, Paju. However, as the site was deemed inauspicious by geomancy, the tomb was moved to its present location in 1856 (6th year of King Cheoljong). The present Inneung site was originally where Sejong's old Yeongneung had stood; during construction, the old stone objects of Sejong's former Yeongneung and those of the former Huireung of Queen Janggyeong, the second consort of King Jungjong, which had been buried in the surrounding ground, were dug up, refinished, and reused. The reused stone objects include the civil and military figures, stone horses, stone lantern, soul-resting stone table, stone pillars, and stone sheep and tigers; some of the stone sheep, stone pillars, and stone horses were newly made. This is recorded in the 'Inneung Cheonbong Salleung Dogam Uigwe,' compiled after the tomb's relocation. The year after Inneung was moved, Empress Sunwon passed away and was buried together in Inneung. Inside the stele pavilion below the tomb stand two marker stones: the first erected during the Joseon period (King Sunjo, Queen Sunwon), and the second during the Korean Empire period (Emperor Sunjo the Solemn, Empress Sunwon the Solemn).