Photography by NMK

Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty have preserved Confucian traditions for over six hundred years. They form a collection of 40 tombs that are individually unique in style and each tomb is a reflection of the ruling king’s philosophy and the political situation of the period. In accordance with Joseon period views on the afterlife, these tombs were strictly regulated to keep them sanctified and separate from the secular world. As a result, these grounds now offer a natural ecological area with green fields for the citizens of Seoul to enjoy and have become a place where people can come and experience history and culture from the Joseon period. In 2009, UNESCO designated the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty as World Heritages allowing the world to share in its value.

Photography by Seo Heun-kang

Jongmyo Shrine

Jongmyo was a royal ancestral shrine where the spirit tablets of deceased monarchs and their queens were enshrined. Since the Joseon dynasty was founded on Confucian beliefs, Jongmyo was a very important area of worship during the Joseon period. Therefore, the architecture of this shrine was sacred and the aesthetics of this shrine was highly reserved and built with gravity. Unnecessary details, bright colors and strong patterns were avoided and the stone steps were elevated to emphasize the sacredness of the shrine. The shrine was extended several times and the colonnade stretching across its front is unmatched in any other Confucius based society. UNESCO added Jongmyo to their list of World Heritage sites in 1995 due to this unique architectural style.

Photography by Kim Kwang Seop

Changdeokgung Palace Complex

The Changdeokgung Palace Complex was built during King Taejong’s reign shortly after the founding of the Joseon Dynasty. After Gyeongbokgung Palace was razed during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, Changdeokgung became the official and residential palace for Joseon monarchs and it became a very important historical site. Against a landscape of low hills, the Changdeokgung Palace Complex was composed of the front gates located in the southwest corner of the palace, the state building to the northeast, the monarchy’s private quarters to the east of the state building and finally, in the back was the huwon or the rear garden. The rear garden consisted of woody shrubs, various-sized ponds, small and large pavilions that all blended into their natural surrounding environment. The Changdeokgung Palace Complex is unique for the way the buildings integrate into and harmonize with the natural setting and topography of the land. It was designated as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1997.

Photography by Kim Dae-byuk

Gyeongju Historic Areas

The city of Gyeongju has a long historic past that has lasted since the Silla Dynasty (B.C 57 - A.D 935), an ancient dynasty that ruled the Korean peninsula for nearly a thousand years. These historic areas hold outstanding examples of Buddhist art that not only can be seen all around this ancient city in the remains of ancient fortresses and palaces, burial tombs and other cultural monuments, but attest to the cultural achievements of the Silla Dynasty. UNESCO added the Gyeongju Historic Areas to their list of World Heritage Sites in December 2000. This vast expanse of land was divided according its natural characteristics. There is the Mount Namsan Belt, the Wolseong Belt, the Tumuli Park Belt, Hwangnyongsa Temple site, the epicenter of Buddhist culture during the Silla period, and the Mountain Fortress, which served as Silla’s central defense system.

Photography by Ahn Jang-heon

Seokguram Grotto & Bulguksa: The Temple of Buddha Land

The Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple complex were designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 1995 for being exemplary works of Buddhist art at its height during the Silla dynasty. The Seokguram Grotto is a masterpiece of Unified Silla period Buddhist aesthetic styles and bears outstanding testimony to Silla’s cultural achievements in religion, architecture, mathematics, geometry and art. The temple’s well-organized architectural arrangement with its various Buddhist statues is unique to Korea and cannot be found anywhere else including India and China. The Bulguksa Temple has been described as being the Silla-version of Buddha Land and a state of enlightenment achieved on earth. As an exemplary model of Buddhist teachings manifested through the temple architecture, it harbors unique architectural aesthetics. 

Photography by Han Seok Hong

Hwaseong Fortress

Hwaseong Fortress was constructed by King Jeongjo, the 22nd monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, not only as an act of filial devotion towards his unlucky father, Prince Sado, it was also a political move to strengthen his own power. After its construction, the fortress proved to be a strategically significant fortification for national defense. King Jeongjo selected up-and-coming scholars such as Jeong Yak-yong to build this fortress with a elaborate plan to establish Hwaseong as a new city in the 18th century. Within the six kilometer long fortress walls, there are four gates and various other structures. Hwaseong Fortress was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage in December 1997.

Photography by Jeon Sung-young

Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong

The historic villages of Hahoe and Yangdong are more than picturesque hamlets carefully arranged with traditional Korean houses, pavilions, study halls, Confucian academies and more, they are well-preserved sites that reflect the distinctive aristocratic Confucian culture of the Joseon Dynasty. The late Joseon period style houses in Hahoe Village are seated against a scenic landscape and in a very auspicious location. Meanwhile, one of Korea’s most representative and well-established families has resided in Yangdong Village since the start of the Joseon period and has kept their familial customs alive for generations. These two historic villages are also important for their preservation and maintenance of the traditional Korean landscape and the moral culture of the Joseon period. These two traditional villages were registered as World Heritages in August 2010.

Photography by Kim Dae-byuk