Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom (Ji'an)
Koguryo Tombs Ji'an · Goguryeo Tombs
Koguryo Kingdom 37 BCE–668 CE (Five Kingdoms period) – tombs 4th–7th c·Koguryo (proto-Korean in Manchuria)·🇨🇳 Jilin Province, Ji'an City, Yalu River, China
About
About Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom (Ji'an)
Forty tombs of Koguryo Kingdom (37 BCE–668 CE) on Yalu, including General's Tomb (400 CE) – 31 m stepped pyramid of cut granite 12 layers recalling Mesoamerican form, and murals of lotus, hunting and daily life in subterranean chambers reflecting shamanic afterlife before Chinese influence.
Why it mattersForty tombs of Koguryo Kingdom (37 BCE–668 CE) on Yalu, including General's Tomb (400 CE) – 31 m stepped pyramid of cut
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Pyramid form convergent with Chinese or Central Asian tumulus?
- 02Mural sinicization chronology vs indigenous Koguryo style
Theories
- 01Stepped pyramid as Chinese fang Shang + Goguryeo mountain worship synthesis
- 02Murals provide rare window to Korean armor and wrestling ssireum
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 3rd–7th c CE tombs; General's Tomb c.5th c
- Period
- Koguryo Kingdom 37 BCE–668 CE (Five Kingdoms period) – tombs 4th–7th c
- Culture
- Koguryo (proto-Korean in Manchuria)
- Purpose
- Royal necropolis and mountain-fortress capital (Guonei/Chungdu) cemeteries
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
3rd–7th c CE tombs; General's Tomb c.5th c
Initial construction
c. 1560 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
41.1260° N · 126.1920° E · 220 m · 3 mapped features
General's Tomb (Jiangjun Fen) stepped pyramid
pyramid tomb12-step granite pyramid 31 m base
41.1260° N · 126.1920° ETomb of the Dancing Figures
mural tombMural of dancers and musicians
41.1250° N · 126.1900° EMountain Fortress Guonei
fortressHill fortress capital walls above Yalu
41.1280° N · 126.1800° E
Gallery