Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty
The royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty consist of 40 tombs spread over 18 sites. The tombs were built over five centuries between 1408 and 1966 to honor ancestors, honor their merits, maintain royal authority, protect ancestral spirits from evil, and prevent vandalism. Tombs were chosen in locations of natural beauty, usually backed by hills, facing south toward water, and ideally with ridges in the distance. In addition to the burial areas, the royal tombs also have ritual areas and entrances. In addition to the tombs, the associated buildings that form part of the tombs include T-shaped wooden shrines, stele sheds, royal kitchens and guardhouses, red pointed gates, and gravekeepers' houses. The exteriors of the tombs are decorated with a variety of stone objects, including human and animal statues. The Joseon Dynasty tombs complete the 5,000-year history of royal tomb architecture on the Korean Peninsula.