UNESCO world heritage walk in Namyangju | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Mongol Cultural Village is located in Naebang-ri, Sudong-myeon, Namyangju-si, and opened in April 2000 based on the friendship and cooperation agreement between Namyangju-si and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in 1998. It is a space with a total area of 62,479㎡. It is the only permanent performance hall in Korea showcasing Mongolian folk arts, including traditional Mongolian instrument performances and horse-riding shows. The exhibition hall displays about 800 items, including traditional costumes, instruments, and daily utensils, allowing visitors to experience Mongolian history and culture. Exhibits include Mongolian religion, clothing, and lifestyle materials, and admission is free. Outdoors, there are Mongolian traditional houses called gers and stone tombs, adding an exotic atmosphere. Visitors can directly experience the interior of the traditional houses. Currently, Namyangju-si is undertaking a comprehensive renovation of the cultural village, aiming for reopening in the first half of 2025. The remodeling is divided into four sectors: indoor and outdoor performance halls, a glamping café, a media art video hall, and a digital experience center. After renovation, it will be newly operated as a complex cultural space combining culture, leisure, and experiences.

Bongseonsa is the main temple of the 25th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, preserving the traditions of the Jogye doctrinal temples and the lineage of Seon temples. It was founded in 969 CE, in the 20th year of King Gwangjong of Goryeo, by the national monk Beopin and was originally called Unaksa. Later, in 1469 CE, the 1st year of King Yejong of Joseon, Queen Jeonghui, consort of King Sejo, enshrined King Sejo's tomb at I-san and named it Gwangneung, then established the current temple as Jaboksa to pray for the king's blessing, renaming it Bongseonsa. Bongseonsa suffered from repeated destruction during the Imjin War, the Qing invasion, and the Korean War. Following Nanghye Daesa (1539), Gye Min Seonsa (1637) rebuilt the temple, with further repairs in 1749 and 1848 restoring its grand and solemn appearance. Today's Bongseonsa reflects the temple's restoration efforts from around 1960. Every summer, Bongseonsa hosts the Bongseonsa Lotus Festival, a Buddhist cultural event centered on lotus flowers. With a lotus field spanning approximately 1,000 pyeong, visitors can enjoy a truly beautiful scene when the lotuses bloom. Since its inception in 2003, the festival continues annually to share the temple’s tranquil atmosphere and culture with the public and to promote Buddhist culture of communication and harmony.

Sareung is the tomb of Queen Jeongsun Song, the wife of the 6th king of Joseon, Danjong. In 1521 (Jungjong 16), when Queen Jeongsun died as Lady Nosangun, she was given a funeral as a Grand Lady. The tomb was established at the current site, which is the family burial ground of her in-law, the Haeju Jeong clan, where her elder sister Princess Gyeonghye's husband belonged, and the Haeju Jeong clan performed ancestral rites. In 1698 (Sukjong 24), she was posthumously restored as Queen Jeongsun, and the tomb was renamed Sareung and rebuilt according to royal tomb regulations. At that time, there was an opinion to move the Haeju Jeong clan's burial ground around Sareung, but by King Sukjong's order, the tombs remained as they were and still exist today. The burial mound of Sareung omits the folding screen stones and rail stones, but around the mound are stone civil officials, stone horses, lanterns, statues (Honyuseok), and Mangjuseok, with a pair of Seokyang and Seokho arranged. Below the mound, there are Jeongjagak, Bigak, Suragan, Subokbang, and Hongsalmun, and inside Bigak is a plaque engraved with 'Joseon Kingdom Queen Jeongsun Sareung (朝鮮國 定順王后 思陵)'.

Hongneung is the tomb of Emperor Gojong, the first emperor of the Korean Empire, and his wife Empress Myeongseong. During Gojong’s reign, he could not successfully counter foreign invasions and faced internal political upheavals such as the Imo Incident, the Gapsin Coup, and the Eulmi Incident. Empress Myeongseong was a tragic queen brutally assassinated by the Japanese during the Eulmi Incident. Her tomb was initially located in Cheongnyang-ri but was moved to be buried together with Gojong’s tomb for feng shui reasons. Following the proclamation of the Korean Empire in 1897 (Gwangmu year 1), Hongneung’s tomb system combined the Ming Dynasty founder Taizu Xiaoling’s tomb system with that of Joseon royal tombs, differing from previous tomb practices. Yureung is the tomb of Emperor Sunjong, Empress Sunmyeong, and Empress Sunjeong. It is unique among Joseon royal tombs for having three chambers built within one mound, called Dongbongsamsilleung. Both Hongneung and Yureung adopt a style different from tombs before King Cheoljong’s era. By referring to Gojong as emperor, the tombs have solemnity as imperial tombs, resulting in different scales and types of stone artifacts. To unify the two tombs, a surrounding wall was constructed externally, and a stone pond was placed between the twin tombs.