Gyeongju Heongangwang Royal Tomb

About this place

This tomb belongs to Heongang, the 49th king of Silla (r. 875–886), the eldest son of King Gyeongmun. He was deeply interested in Buddhism and Confucian learning, and promoted civil governance. His reign was celebrated as a golden age of prosperity, with songs filling every street and the Japanese king reportedly sending gold as tribute. He was buried southeast of Borisa Temple. The mound, located on the northeastern slope of Namsan in Gyeongju, is a circular earthen mound 4.2 m high and 15.3 m in diameter, with four tiers of stone lining the base. A 1993 excavation confirmed the internal stone chamber structure: an entrance passage to the southeast and a chamber to the west, with a stone door, threshold, and sealing stones at the entrance, and a funerary platform against the west wall.