Paju Three Royal Tombs [UNESCO World Heritage]

Paju Three Royal Tombs consists of the Gongneung, Sulleung, and Yeongneung tombs. Gongneung is the royal tomb of Queen Jangsun (1445-1461), consort of King Yejong, the 8th ruler of the Joseon dynasty. She died when she was still a crown princess, so her tomb is very simple. There is not even a “Mangjuseok,” which is the name for the pair of stones that stand on either side of the mound.


Sulleung is the tomb of Queen Gonghye (1456-1474), a consort of King Seongjong, the 9th ruler of the Joseon dynasty. Sulleung is similar to Gongneung in many ways, but it has more stonework. Queen Gonghye was the 4th daughter of Han Myeong-Hoe, a high-ranking government officer, and a sister of Queen Jangsun, who is buried in Gongneung. This was the only time in the history of the Joseon dynasty that two sisters both became queen.


Yeongneung is the tomb of the posthumously designated king, King Jinjong (1719-1728), the first son of King Yeongjo, and Queen Hyosun (1715-1751). King Jinjong became the crown prince at the age of 7, but he died when he was only 13 in Changgyeonggung Palace. Queen Hyosun became the crown princess when she was 13 years old. In 1751, she died at the age of 37 without an heir.