Tomb of Grand Prince Yangnyeong to reopen to public in 18 years

Tomb of Grand Prince Yangnyeong to reopen to public in 18 years. April. 27, 2018 07:47. yeah@donga.com.
The tomb and the surrounding area of Grand Prince Yangnyeong (1394-1462), the older brother of King Sejong the Great of Joseon Dynasty, will be reopened to the public after 18 years of closure.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Dongjak District Office agreed on Thursday to reopen the tomb of Grand Prince Yangnyeong from Friday. Seoul kept the tomb area off limits to the public from 2000 to preserve the cultural asset.

Grand Prince Yangnyeong, the first son of King Taejong, the founder and first king of Joseon, was named crown prince. However, history has it that he acted weirdly on purpose in order to lose his position and let his younger brother, who later became King Sejong, inherit the throne.

Grand Prince Yangnyeong’s tomb area, which totals 15,281 square meters on the northern foot of Guksabong Peak of Mount Cheonggye in southern Seoul, includes a tomb in which he and his wife are buried together and the Jideoksa shrine which enshrines the couple’s tablets. The Jideoksa shrine was built right outside of Sungnyemun Gate, also known as Namdaemun, in Seoul in 1776 but was moved to the current location in 1912. It houses a rubbing of Sungnyemun Gate’s signboard written in person by Grand Prince Yangnyeong, who was skilled in poetry and calligraphy.

The tomb area will be open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday every week. Admission is free. Seoul plans to renovate the hiking trails around the area as part of its plan to build a history themed trails linking the area to Guksabong Peak and to Sangdo Neighborhood Park.