Huge Bonghwangdae Tomb

Bonghwangdae Tomb is one of the largest royal tombs in Gyeongju City. I took this photo as soon as I arrived as it is close to my hotel.

BOnghwangdae Tomb

Bonghwangdae Tomb is an ancient tomb of Silla situated in the tomb cluster of Nodong-dong. It is located in Gyeongju City, the old capital of the Silla Kingdom (Dynasty).

If you have not seen or scanned my other articles about Gyeongju and its royal tombs articles, I want to say that Gyeongju is one of the places you should not miss exploring in South Korea.

And, why is that? In case you ask...

Because Gyeongju is simply an exciting place to explore. Besides, it is also beautiful, including its historical treasures (such as the ancient Buddhist temples, carved stone Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, stupas).

(Please, take a look at my other articles Gyeongju here if you wish to learn a bit more about Gyeongju).

The tomb is a remarkable 82 meters in size and 22 meters in height, making it look more like a hill than a tomb due to its humongous size.

Although it is believed to be the tomb of a king, this has not been verified because the grave has actually never been excavated.

The Legend of Bonghwangdae

The geomancer said that the kingdom of Silla was shaped like a ship. And that this "ship" needs to sink in order for the kingdom to fall.

After assuring Wanggeon that he might sink the ship of Silla, the geomancer looked for an audience with the king of Silla.

The geomancer told the king that the land of Silla resembled the shape of the Bonghwang (phoenix), which the bird was about to fly away, which would bring about the ruin of the kingdom.

The king, who had been worrying about domestic affairs, thought the geomancer and asked him for a solution. The geomancer informed the king that if he made a hill that looked like an egg in the capital city, the "bird" wouldn't fly away.

I took this photo across the street in the evening of my arrival in Gyeongju City.

However, it would remain to protect her egg and the kingdom. As a result, the king made plenty of ancient tombs, one of which was the enormous Bonghwangdae Tomb.

Legend has it that Silla genuinely was shaped like a ship, not a phoenix. And all these tombs signified the "overloading" of the ship, resulting in the ultimate destruction of the kingdom.

After the fall of Silla, Wanggeon rose to power and later on ended up being the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty.

I will share more stories regarding this tomb and the surrounding legends in my next update.

Finding Bonghwangdae Tomb

Please, you may use the following further relevant information to help you learn more about Bonghwadae Tomb.

Address: 261, Nodong-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Website: www. guide.gyeongju.go.kr (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese)

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Enjoy and have safe travels!