Why Is King Munmu Tomb Buried Underwater?
King Munmu Tomb, buried underwater is located off the Bonggil Beach on a tiny rocky islet in East Sea. So, why underwater?
According to South Korea history, the king expressed his wish to be buried in the East Sea after his death, so that he would become a dragon in afterlife and protect the Shilla Kingdom from the Japanese intruders.
The rocky island, about 200 meters in circumference, is divided by a cross-shaped waterway, forming a pool at the center. The tomb is located at Bonggil-ri, Yangbuk-myeon in Gyeongju-si.
- King Munmu (661-681 A.D.) unified the three kingdoms and became the 30th ruler of the Shilla Kingdom.
- There is a granite rock at the bottom of the pool under which the cremated remains of King Munmu are supposedly buried.
- The debate is still on whether the ashes of the King Munmu were scattered or stored in an urn and placed under the granite.
- The granite is 3.6 meters long, 2.9 meters wide and 0.9 meters thick.
- It is another experience to visit the underwater tomb when the beauty of the landscape is at its best in the autumn.
- Underwater Tomb of King Munmu is one of the few attractions of Gyeongju where no admission dee is charged and is open all year round 24 hours.
- Don't miss the nearby attraction of the Gameunsa Temple where the sacrificial rites were performed for the King.
- The foundation of the temple and the three-story stone pagoda remains while other structures have been ravaged.
- The pagoda is one of the oldest and the most beautiful pagodas in Korea from the Shilla Era.
King Munmu Tomb Back to Historic Sites
