West Five Royal Tombs [UNESCO World Heritage]

West Five Royal Tombs is the second largest royal burial site of the Joseon dynasty after Donggureung Royal Tombs. In Korean, the burial mounds of kings and queens are named reung or neung, while those of kings’ parents, crown princes and princesses are called won, and the burial mounds of other princes and princesses are called myo.



West Five Royal Tombs consists of Gyeongneung (the tomb of posthumously designated rulers, King Deokjong and Queen Sohye), Changneung (the tomb of King Yejong, the 8th ruler, and Queen Ansun), Hongneung (the tomb of Queen Jeongseong, a consort to King Yeongjo, the 21st ruler), Ingneung (the tomb of Queen Ingyeong, a consort to King Sukjong) and Myeongneung (the tomb of King Sukjong, the 19th ruler, and his two wives, Queen Inhyeon and Queen Inwon).



In addition to the five reungs in West Five Royal Tombs, there are three wons. These include Sunchangwon (the tombs of Crown Prince Sunhoe and Crown Princess Gonghoebin), Sugyeongwon (the tomb of King Yeongjo’s concubine, Yeongbin) and Yeonghoewon (King Injo’s son, Crown Prince Sohyeon and Crown Princess Minhoebin). Also, Daebinmyo, the grave of Janghuibin who was King Sukjong’s concubine and King Gyeongjong’s mother, was recently moved to the burial site.