Daereungwon Tomb Complex
The most distinctive feature of Gyeongju is its tumuli — numerous, massive, grass-covered burial mounds that rise from the flat earth like man-made hills.
While these mounds are scattered throughout the region, the Daereungwon Tomb Complex is the most significant concentration of these royal tombs, located in the very center of the city. This park, which spans over 125,000 square meters, contains 23 large tombs where the kings, queens, and nobles of the Silla Kingdom were interred. These are not merely graves; they are monuments to the Silla belief in the afterlife and the absolute power of the ruling class.
Unlike the stone pyramids of Egypt or the accessible underground mausoleums of China, classical Silla tombs were constructed using a unique wooden chamber method that inadvertently ensured their preservation against looting. The construction process was elaborate: the deceased and their treasures were placed in a large wooden chest or chamber. This chamber was then covered in a huge pile of river boulders and sealed with a thick layer of beaten earth to create the smooth, domed shape visible today.
Over time, the internal wooden structure would rot and the heavy stone layer would collapse inward. This collapse effectively crushed the contents but also created a tightly packed seal of stone and earth that made the tombs nearly impossible for grave robbers to penetrate without heavy machinery. This design is the primary reason why so many Silla treasures survived intact for over a millennium until modern archaeologists excavated them, revealing a civilization of immense wealth.
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The most famous site within the complex is Cheonmachong, which translates to “Tomb of the Heavenly Horse.” Excavated in 1973, it yielded over 11,500 artifacts, offering a window into the lavish lifestyle of the Silla elite. Its name comes from a specific and rare find: a birch bark mudguard from a saddle flap, painted with a galloping white horse flying toward the heavens. This painting is the only surviving example of Silla painting from the era, making it invaluable to art historians who previously had to rely solely on sculptures to understand Silla aesthetics.
Visitors can enter the interior of Cheonmachong, which has been converted into a viewing gallery. Inside, the structural cross-section of the tomb is visible, showing the layers of stone and earth. Display cases house replicas of the treasures found within, including a magnificent golden crown, gold belts, and ornate horse fittings. These items display the immense wealth of the Silla elite, who believed that one’s status in this life should be carried extravagantly into the next. The complex is particularly striking in the spring, when the cherry blossom trees planted between the ancient mounds bloom, creating a surreal landscape where life and death stand side by side.
