Complex of Koguryo Tombs in Korea

Complex of Koguryo Tombs - Korea

The property includes numerous group and individual tombs - totaling about 30 individual tombs - from last period of the Kingdom Koguryo, one of the toughest kingdoms in China at present northeast and the half of the Korean peninsula between 3rd century BC in 7th century ap J.-C.. Tombs, many with nice wall painting, are almost the only rest of this culture. Only about 90 of more than 10,000 tombs Koguryo overdrafts in China and Korea at the moment have wall painting. Nearly half of these tombs is found on this site and they think that they are made for the entombment of kings, the members of the royal family and the upper class. This painting gives an unique evidence in the daily life of this period.

Outstanding Universal Value

Koguryo was one of the strongest kingdoms in northeast China and the half of the Korean peninsula between 3rd century BC and the 7th century ap J.-C.. The cultural most known inheritance rest of this kingdom are tombs, constructed by some stone and covered by the stone mounds or on earth. These tombs, from middle the period of the kingdom, many with nice wall painting, are the representative stays of this culture. About 100 of more than 10,000 tombs Koguryo overdrafts in the Republic of Democratic People of Korea and China are up to the gift decorated with the wall painting, among which about 80 are in the Republic of Democratic People of Korea. Among tombs Koguryo identified in the Republic of Democratic People of Korea, 63 individual tombs by including 16 tombs with wall painting are included in inscribed ownership.

The Complex of Tombs Koguryo is an ownership classifies and includes several groups and individual tombs located especially at the foot of mountains and some in villages. Found in Pyongyang and in ambient provinces, they think that tombs are made for the entombment of kings, the members of the royal family and the upper class. Tombs are monumental mounds on earth, en-pierre-chambered which were skillfully constructed with the designs of clever ceiling to support heavy weight above. Technology used represents an unique, creative resolution and for a long time searched by mechanical engineering of the technical problems put down by the underground building of tomb.

Wide Report

Tombs Koguryo are the special evidence of culture Koguryo, its customhouse of entombment and its daily life and firm belief. The special customhouse of entombment of thisculture had an important influence on other cultures in the region, by including those in Japan. The wall painting of tombs is masterpieces of culture and period of the Kingdom Koguryo, while the building of tombs shows clever resolutions of mechanical engineering. The site of world heritage includes several groups and individual tombs, totalling about 30 individual tombs, from last period of the Kingdom Koguryo, one of the strongest kingdoms in China of the northeast and the half of the Korean peninsula between 3rd century BC and the 7th century ap J.-C.. Tombs, many with nice wall painting, are almost the only rest of this culture. Only about 90 of more than 10,000 tombs Koguryo overdrafts in China and Korea have wall painting at the moment. Almost half of these tombs is found on this site and they think that they are made for the entombment of kings, the members of the royal family and the upper class. This painting gives an unique evidence in the daily life of this period.

The site includes 63 tombs of five regions in North Korea, grown have been constructed between 5th and 6th centuries. Of these, Kangso Trois Tombs and the Royal Tomb of king Tongmyong, with 16 other tombs, contain painting of wall painting. As Koguryo stretched of what is the Province of Jilin in China of the northeast in Pyongyang in North Korea now, the historical sites in both nations have been a point of conflict on their lineage for a long time. The Koreans demand that Koguryo is a kingdom of ancient Korea based on historical obviousness, while the Chinese historians claimed Koguryo as being part of their history, as objects from period were kept and preserved by China because of their geographical distribution in its borders. Both countries agreed to put the historical inheritances of the ancient kingdom on the Worldwide List of Inheritance separately as they consider that it is 'apolitical ' and both countries concentrate to preserve sites and to use them as tourist attractions and as sources of historical research. The wall painting of Koguryo is rich in colour and tone: pictures of feminine dance, warlike in training, birds in the sky, dragons, the fish in rivers, the animals in forests, wind and clouds of wall painting are so real and cool as they seem as though they can be envoys of the cloth from instant to the other one.

Historical Data

The kingdom Koguryo has existed for almost 1,000 years, of 277 BC in 668 AD.. It was established in Huanren, the Province of Liaoning in China, transferred in year 3 ap J.-C. to the Castle Kungnae in Ji' a year, the Province of Jilin, China, in Mt. The region of Taesong in Pyongyang, in 427 AD. and finally in the Castle Jangan in the centre of the present day the city of Pyongyang. Pyongyang, located in a strategical place, has been for a long time the political, economic and cultural centre, as the capital of ancient Korea (Kojoson) which is reason why the kingdom Koguryo moved its capital here and made big efforts in the development of it. The kingdom Koguryo developed its territory to cover northeast China and half of the Korean peninsula, by becoming one of the strongest powers in the East. It collapsed in year 668 AD.

The cultural most known inheritance rest of this kingdom are thousands of tombs, constructed by some stone and covered by the stone mounds or on earth. The tombs of mound on earth, by including with wall painting a lot, were which predominates as soon as Koguryo moved the capital in Pyongyang - but existed in other parties of the kingdom also. The most part of the known tombs suffered from underground unearthing in a last thousand years. As a result little being scientifically excavated before such activity and there are very few full objects from tombs. Tombs accepted worldwide attention only in 1905, when during Japanese occupation many of them were opened to the general public. The first scientific research and material made by the Japanese erudite persons between 1911 and 1940s.

Source:whc/unesco