The Royal Tombs of the Koryo Dynasty are a group of tombs of members of the Korean Koryo Dynasty (918-1392).
The tombs
The royal tombs are scattered around southwestern North Hwanghae Province, with most of them located within 20 kilometers of Kaesong, the Koryo capital. Most tombs are located in Kaepung County, which borders Kaesong to the west, though there are also a significant number in Changpung county, which borders Kaesong to the east. Some tombs, all unidentified, are also located within Kaesong itself.
Koryo-era royal tombs followed the guidelines outlined in Chinese Confucian texts, such as the Book of Rites and the Rites of Zhou. Many factors went into consideration when deciding the location of a tomb, such as the distance from Kaesong, the distance in relation to other royal tombs, the accessibility of the location, and the tradition of Feng Shui. The tomb construction also took into account traditional burial rituals of Korea and the natural environment.
