Underwater Tomb of King Munmu in South Korea

Underwater Tomb of King Munmu in South Korea

Underwater Tomb of King Munmu in South Korea is located off the Bonggil Beach on a tiny rocky islet in East Sea. The king expressed his wishes 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.

Features of Underwater Tomb of King Munmu in South Korea

  -   King Munmu (661-681 A.D.) unified the three kingdoms and became the 30th ruler of the Silla 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 fee is charged and is open all year round 24 hours.
  -   You can take city bus No. 150 from the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal and get off at the Underwater tomb of King Munmu after a 50 minutes' ride.
  -   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 Silla Era.
  -   Take just a 10-15 minutes' walk from the Underwater Tomb of King Munmu and you will reach this place.

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