Gyeongju 2019: Tumuli Park (Daereungwon Tomb Complex)

As the sun was going down I managed to get in a final bit of sightseeing in Gyeongju by visiting Tumuli Park. Also known as the Daereungwon Tomb Complex, Tumuli Park holds 23 burial mounds of various monarchs from Korea’s Silla Kingdom, including Park Hyeokgeose the very first Silla king. I think I read online somewhere that King Park Hyeokgeose is the reason why so many people in Korea have the family name Park but don’t quote me on that. One of the mounds at Tumuli Park, called the Cheonmachong (Heavenly Horse) Tomb, was excavated in 1974 and was found to contain thousands of artifacts from Korea’s ancient past. There’s an entry fee you have to pay to get into Tumuli Park but I personally think it’s worth it, especially if you’re a history-minded person.

While walking around Tumuli Park I couldn’t help but notice signs that warned visitors not to climb the burial mounds. Doing so is punishable by a fine of 20,000,000 won (currently about USD $1,841.49) and 2 years in jail.