Inside Cheonmachong Tomb
No fixed time
Daereungwon Tomb Complex (Cheonmachong)
대릉원(천마총)
Today
Why go
In the middle of downtown Gyeongju, the Daereungwon Tomb Complex is a large park holding 23 Silla tombs. Walking the park is free; only Cheonmachong Tomb needs a ticket, which lets you see inside the tomb.
Admission
Free
Experiences
Highlights
History
The Daereungwon area was originally five separate historic sites: the tomb groups of Nodong-ri, Noseo-ri, Hwangnam-ri, Hwango-ri and Inwang-ri. On July 28, 2011, these Silla tomb groups, which sit side by side in the middle of the Gyeongju plain, were brought together and redesignated as "Daereungwon Area, Gyeongju".
Cheonmachong Tomb was excavated first, as a trial, before the neighboring Hwangnam Daechong Tomb was dug. With the technology of the time, it was hard to go straight to excavating a tomb as huge as Hwangnam Daechong. It is thought to date from the late 5th to early 6th century, and a gold crown, a gold belt, gilt-bronze shoes and more were found just as the buried person had worn them.
Cheonmachong is a stone-mound wooden-chamber tomb, the typical Silla tomb type: stones were piled over a wooden chamber and covered with earth. Inside, you can look through glass at the chamber, which has been restored on its own while the decayed wooden coffin was left as it was. The actual excavated relics are on display at Gyeongju National Museum.
Getting there
경상북도 경주시 계림로 9
Lot no. · 경상북도 경주시 황남동 31-1
Where next
Photos
Tips
- Daereungwon is open 09:00–22:00, and ticket sales close at 21:30. Entry to the park is free; Cheonmachong Tomb costs 3,000 won for adults, 2,000 won for youths and 1,000 won for children.
- Cheonmachong Tomb is free for children aged 6 and under and visitors aged 65 and over.
- For parking, the Daereungwon public parking lot and Nodong public parking lot charge a fee, while the Jjoksaem temporary parking lot, reached via Wonhwa-ro 181beon-gil, is free.
Show details
- Address
- 경상북도 경주시 계림로 9
- Hours
- 09:00–22:00
- Admission
- Free