The kings and queens of the Joseon dynasty, who ruled Korea for more than five hundred years until 1910, chose their graves with enormous care. Geomancers studied hills, water and wind to find sites with the right energy, and the royal tombs were laid out with burial mounds, stone guardians, ceremonial halls and long processional paths. Forty of these tombs are listed together by UNESCO as the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, and Seosamreung, the three western tombs in Goyang just north-west of Seoul, is one of the clusters.
The setting is a calm, wooded hillside where pine trees shelter the mounds, and the stone figures of civil and military officials, horses and sheep stand in silent watch. A visit is a lesson in Confucian ritual and order: the T-shaped shrine where offerings were made, the path of the spirit and the path of the king, the careful placement of each element in the landscape. Some parts of the cluster have been closed for conservation in the past, so check access before you go.
Goyang is a big city of more than a million people, part of the sprawl of greater Seoul, and the area around the tombs is a patchwork of farmland, greenhouses, apartment towers and new suburbs. Riding here means heavy traffic, multi-lane roads, frequent traffic lights and assertive driving, especially at rush hour. Motorcycles are not allowed on Korean expressways, so you will be on ordinary roads, which can be slow. Head north toward Paju and the Imjin river, or east into the mountains of Bukhansan National Park, for more interesting riding.
Fuel, food and coffee are everywhere. Korean food is a reason to stop in itself: a bowl of naengmyeon, cold buckwheat noodles, in summer, or galbi grilled at the table, with endless side dishes of kimchi and vegetables. Convenience stores offer quick snacks and cold drinks at any hour.
Come in spring, when cherry and forsythia blossom brighten the hills, or in autumn, when the maples turn brilliant red and the skies are clear. Summers are hot and humid, with a monsoon season in July, and winters are cold and dry. Walk slowly along the processional path at Seosamreung, past the stone guardians, and feel how carefully the Joseon court arranged the meeting of landscape, power and the afterlife.