The respected Comrade
"We should unearth larger numbers of valuable historical sites and relics, thus enriching the storehouse of the nation's cultural heritage."
There are many mausoleums in Kaesong, the capital of Koryo, the first unified state in history of Korea.
It is of great significance to discover and research unproven places and heroes of Koryo mausoleums in the study of Koryo history and culture.
Hwagok Mausoleum, which has been recently discovered in the middle of a hill at the northern foot of Songdo Reservoir, is located 6 km northwestward off the seat of Ryonghung-dong, Kaesong City. It has been called Hwagok Mausoleum so far after the place where it was located.
Hwagok Mausoleum is a stone-chamber earth tomb with a stone platform at its base and a pile of earth on it.
There is a large tomb district around it.
The tomb district lies long to the south on the slope of the ridge extending from north to south, and is about 63.5 metres long from north to south and 20 metres wide from east to west.
It is divided into three blocks by granite axes that are erected long to the east-west direction.
The 1st axis about 12 metres away to the south of the earth tomb, and it serves as a boundary between the first and the second blocks. The 2nd axis in south of the 1st axis distinguishes Block 2 and Block 3.
There is a mound on the top (block 1) of the tomb district. It is 13 metres wide in diameter and 3 metres high. There is a circular stone platform at its base and a stone railing on the outside of the platform. At present, the stone railing is supported only by the pillar stone and pedestals, and only two cross stones of the railing were found intact on the north-west side of the mound.
In front of the mound stands a tombstone on which was engraved "The Monument to the Mausoleum of the King of Koryo". It is one of the tombstones set up before the mausoleums of the kings of Koryo in the 4th year of Ko Jong (1867) during the period of the Korean Feudal Dynasty. There is no name in the tombstone, but apparently, Hwagok Mausoleum was recognized as a tomb of the king of Koryo during the period of the Korean Feudal Dynasty.
In Block 2 there are some sculpture parts and base stone facilities, which indicate that there had originally been stone sculptures made of well-trimmed granite on the east and west, left and right sides.
An altar site was found in Block 3. During the excavation of the site, floor bricks, plain tiles and ridge-end tiles with concentric circular patterns carved on them appeared. In addition, some pieces of dragon-shaped pheasant plumes and phoenix-shaped sculptures, similar to those on Manwol Pavilion of Koryo Kingdom site, were found along with some pieces of green china
Hwagok Mausoleum, which stands due southward, is a single stone-chamber earth tomb with the tomb chamber built in the semi-basement. The tomb chamber is 4 metres long from north to south, 3.4 metres wide from east to west and 2.3 metres high.
Its inner walls were made of processed granite slabs. Two pieces of granite slabs were erected side by side on the east, west and north walls.
The south wall joined to the southern ends of the east and west walls was used as both a wall and a door pillar by building two panels that are 0.9 metre long, 1.95 metres high and 0.48 metre thick. The spacing between the two pillar stones of the south wall is 1.6 metres, with a threshold stone about 1.6 metres long, 0.4 metre wide and 0.2 metre high on the floor.
Originally, the walls of the tomb chamber were painted fairly, but now there is only a trace of the plaster. Whether there were mural paintings on them or not has not been known.
In the middle of the floor of the tomb chamber lies a bier from south to north.
On the right and left side of the bier, namely near the east and west walls, there are pedestals for keepsakes.
The ceiling is supported by a stage in parallel, which is covered with a ceiling stone over it. Four ceiling stones were placed long from east to west on the paralleled supporting stage, and a capstone on the door pillar stone.
The surfaces of the paralleled supporting stage, capstone, and ceiling stone were plastered originally, but they are almost bare now.
The fragments of the earthen wares and ceramic wares as well as tiles and floor bricks were found in the tomb chamber and the altar site.
Based on the structure of the tomb and the relics, it is estimated that it was built in the early period of Koryo Dynasty.
As far as the interior structure is concerned, the inner walls of Hwagok Mausoleum were built with large slabs, the ceiling was formed in a style of parallel supporting, a bier was placed in the middle of the floor, and two pedestals for keepsakes stand on both sides. Such structure is very similar to that of the early Koryo kingdoms, including Hyon Mausoleum (built in 943), which is the tomb of Wang Kon, founder of Koryo, Onhye Mausoleum (built in the 10th century), the tomb of Wang Kon's grandmother, An Mausoleum (built in 949), the tomb of Jong Jong, the third king of Koryo, Yong Mausoleum (built in 981), the tomb of Kyong Jong, the 5th king of Koryo and Sogu Mausoleum (built in the 10th century).
As for the exterior structure, the tomb district was divided into three blocks, which is also similar to the mausoleums of Wang Kon and Onhye in the 10th century, An Mausoleum, Hon Mausoleum and Yong Mausoleum of the 3rd (Jong Jong), 4th (Kwang Jong) and 5th (Kong Jong) kings in the 11th century. In addition, the base facilities found in alter site of Hwagok Mausoleum have the same shape as those of the other building (Kyongryong Temple) which is said to have been built in the early 10th century.
The glaze colour of the remains of the celadon fragments found in the tomb chamber of the Mausoleum is characteristic of that of the early Koryo Dynasty, and it is almost the same as that of the celadon remnant from An Mausoleum, and the celadon from Sogu Mausoleum.
This is one of the important evidences that Hwagok Mausoleum dates back to the early Koryo Dynasty.
The Mausoleum may be believed to be dedicated to Hye Jong, the 2nd king of Koryo.
The fact that Hwagok Mausoleum from the early Koryo Dynasty was located near the northeastern side of Tanhyon Gate of Kaesong Fortress and was handed down by the name of "Ulguri Mausoleum" until the year of 1916 is coincident with the record in Sinjungdonggukyojisungnam (Revised Handbook of Korean Geography) that Sun Mausoleum, the tomb of Hye Jong, 2nd king of Koryo, had been located in the north of Kyongdok Temple outside Tanhyong Gate and commonly called as Chu Mausoleum (Ulguri Mausoleum).
The recent findings that Hwagok Mausoleum, the mausoleum of the early Koryo Dynasty, is Sun Mausoleum, the tomb of Hye Jong, 2nd king of Koryo Dynasty have contributed to laying a scientific foundation for illuminating the heroes of the mausoleums of Koryo Dynasty that remain unexplained.
Hwagok Mausoleum is a precious legacy showing superior cultural development in the period of Koryo, and a cultural treasure of the Korean nation to be handed down to posterity forever.
