The quiet Seoul royal tomb whose carved stones ended up under a bridge

In the hillside neighbourhood of Jeongneung (정릉), in Seoul's Seongbuk district, a Joseon royal tomb sits behind an ordinary ticket booth. It is one of the forty Joseon tombs inscribed by UNESCO in 2009. On a weekday morning, most of the people on its paths are local walkers.

A queen moved out of the city

The tomb belongs to Queen Sindeok, second wife of Taejo, the founder of the Joseon dynasty. She died in 1396 and was first buried inside the city walls, in the area still called Jeong-dong, a name taken from the tomb itself. In 1409 the grave was moved to this valley outside the walls. The site is plainer than most royal tombs, with fewer stone figures around the mound.

정동이라는 이름은 이제 그곳에 없는 왕비의 무덤에서 왔다.

The stones under Cheonggyecheon

In 1410, some of the tomb's original carved screen stones were reused to rebuild Gwangtonggyo, a bridge over the Cheonggyecheon stream. The bridge was rebuilt near its original site when the stream was uncovered in 2005. From the lower walkway you can still see carved panels set into its base, and a few of them are upside down. If you see the tomb and the bridge on the same day, a short subway ride apart, the history makes more sense than a plaque can manage.

How to spend the morning

Take the Ui LRT to Jeongneung station and walk ten to fifteen minutes uphill, through Jeongneung Market if you want a snack first. Admission is 1,000 won, the grounds are closed on Mondays, and a wooded path loops behind the mound. Afterwards, follow the Jeongneungcheon stream path downhill under the elevated expressway, where the concrete keeps the walkway shaded through summer.