After a ways you’ll come to Hoegi-ro-10-gil (회기로10길), and if you turn left here the street will eventually bring you to an entrance to Hongneung Park (홍릉공원). The park is rather large, but there’s actually not all that much that’s accessible to visitors, as most of it is covered by woods that spread out over a number of ravines. While there may not be all that much to do as a result, it makes for an excellent place to escape from the city and stroll along its shady walking paths.
The park grounds are also home to a little-known historical site, though this is only accessible from a separate entrance. To reach it, continue on Hoegi-ro until you come to Hongneung-ro (홍릉로). Turn left there, continue past the Korean Film Council (KOFIK) (영화진흥위원회), and after a block the entrance to Yeonghwiwon and Sunginwon (영휘원과 숭인원) will be on your left.
Historical Site No. 361, these two tombs are the burial sites of Lady Eom (1854-1911) and Yi Jin, respectively. Lady Eom, or Soonheon Hwang-Gwibi (순헌황귀비) was a favored concubine of Emperor Gojong. She entered the palace when she was only five, eventually becoming a lady of the royal guard to Queen Myeongseong. She remained in the palace until she was 32, when the queen, in a fit of rage, threw her out after ‘she had a chance to serve King Gojong at night,’ as the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea’s website preciously phrases it. Nine years on, however, Empress Myeongseong was murdered by Japanese assassins, and a mere five days later Lady Eom returned to the palace. (Incidentally, the tomb of the empress was originally located near here, before being moved to Namyangju in 1919.) She made good by helping Gojong escape to the Russian legation. Following this, and prior to official Japanese annexation of Korea, Lady Eom acted on her interest in Western education by founding the Yangjeong School (양정의숙) in 1905 and the Jinmyeong Girls’ School (진명여학교) the following year. She also later donated a large sum of money to found Sookmyung Girls’ School (숙명여학교).
Sadly, there’s far less to say about Yi Jin, Lady Eom’s grandson by her son Uimin, who was the last Joseon imperial crown prince. Uimin was taken hostage and sent to Japan at the age of 11 under the pretext of ‘studying abroad,’ which has to be some of the greatest political spin of all time. In 1920, in an arranged marriage he wedded Japanese Princess Masako Nashimoto, who gave birth to Jin the following year. Nine months later, however, during a visit to Korea, their first-born died under what are often referred to as suspicious circumstances. King Sunjong, Uimin’s elder brother, declared that Sunginwon should be built as a resting place for the deceased infant.
After entering and passing a handy display of the Joseon Dynasty royal family tree, Sunginwon is the first of the tombs you come to. A wooden gate frames a stone path leading up to a squat wood memorial hall. Half-moon-shaped wooden aprons hang down from the roof on the front and sides, the one on the north side the only one that still retained much of its vivid burgundy paint. Nothing was inside the hall, only washed-out roof beams and black stone tiles on the floor like those leading up to the structure. A pavilion south of the hall held a stele. Behind the two structures was a mound, which flattened out at the top. On this flat area was a smaller burial mound surrounded by stone lanterns, stone animal and human guardians, and a brick wall. The steepness of the hill meant that the only way to get even a partial view was to back way up.
The area between Sunginwon and Yeonghwiwon was filled with Korean honey locusts and other trees, including a red hawthorn that is Natural Monument No. 506. Estimated to be 150 years old, its twisted branches twine around each other, dozens of berries still clinging to them in the late autumn cold.
Yeonghwiwon had a similar setup to Sunginwon, but was slightly bigger and in better shape, its paint sharper and less faded, and with a wider and less steep hill. Like Sunginwon, there was a pavilion holding a stele to the south, its outer edge also serving as a hangout for seven old women, bundled up against the cold, and a lone man in a wheelchair who was resolutely not paying attention to the women’s gossip. Unlike the other memorial, however, this hall was not empty, instead having several tables inside. A sign noted that a memorial ceremony (기신제) is held here every April 13.
The park grounds are also home to a little-known historical site, though this is only accessible from a separate entrance. To reach it, continue on Hoegi-ro until you come to Hongneung-ro (홍릉로). Turn left there, continue past the Korean Film Council (KOFIK) (영화진흥위원회), and after a block the entrance to Yeonghwiwon and Sunginwon (영휘원과 숭인원) will be on your left.
Historical Site No. 361, these two tombs are the burial sites of Lady Eom (1854-1911) and Yi Jin, respectively. Lady Eom, or Soonheon Hwang-Gwibi (순헌황귀비) was a favored concubine of Emperor Gojong. She entered the palace when she was only five, eventually becoming a lady of the royal guard to Queen Myeongseong. She remained in the palace until she was 32, when the queen, in a fit of rage, threw her out after ‘she had a chance to serve King Gojong at night,’ as the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea’s website preciously phrases it. Nine years on, however, Empress Myeongseong was murdered by Japanese assassins, and a mere five days later Lady Eom returned to the palace. (Incidentally, the tomb of the empress was originally located near here, before being moved to Namyangju in 1919.) She made good by helping Gojong escape to the Russian legation. Following this, and prior to official Japanese annexation of Korea, Lady Eom acted on her interest in Western education by founding the Yangjeong School (양정의숙) in 1905 and the Jinmyeong Girls’ School (진명여학교) the following year. She also later donated a large sum of money to found Sookmyung Girls’ School (숙명여학교).
Sadly, there’s far less to say about Yi Jin, Lady Eom’s grandson by her son Uimin, who was the last Joseon imperial crown prince. Uimin was taken hostage and sent to Japan at the age of 11 under the pretext of ‘studying abroad,’ which has to be some of the greatest political spin of all time. In 1920, in an arranged marriage he wedded Japanese Princess Masako Nashimoto, who gave birth to Jin the following year. Nine months later, however, during a visit to Korea, their first-born died under what are often referred to as suspicious circumstances. King Sunjong, Uimin’s elder brother, declared that Sunginwon should be built as a resting place for the deceased infant.
After entering and passing a handy display of the Joseon Dynasty royal family tree, Sunginwon is the first of the tombs you come to. A wooden gate frames a stone path leading up to a squat wood memorial hall. Half-moon-shaped wooden aprons hang down from the roof on the front and sides, the one on the north side the only one that still retained much of its vivid burgundy paint. Nothing was inside the hall, only washed-out roof beams and black stone tiles on the floor like those leading up to the structure. A pavilion south of the hall held a stele. Behind the two structures was a mound, which flattened out at the top. On this flat area was a smaller burial mound surrounded by stone lanterns, stone animal and human guardians, and a brick wall. The steepness of the hill meant that the only way to get even a partial view was to back way up.
The area between Sunginwon and Yeonghwiwon was filled with Korean honey locusts and other trees, including a red hawthorn that is Natural Monument No. 506. Estimated to be 150 years old, its twisted branches twine around each other, dozens of berries still clinging to them in the late autumn cold.
Yeonghwiwon had a similar setup to Sunginwon, but was slightly bigger and in better shape, its paint sharper and less faded, and with a wider and less steep hill. Like Sunginwon, there was a pavilion holding a stele to the south, its outer edge also serving as a hangout for seven old women, bundled up against the cold, and a lone man in a wheelchair who was resolutely not paying attention to the women’s gossip. Unlike the other memorial, however, this hall was not empty, instead having several tables inside. A sign noted that a memorial ceremony (기신제) is held here every April 13.
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