This is one of the few places in a ride collection that you almost certainly cannot ride to on your own, and it is worth saying so plainly. The Tomb of King Tongmyong lies in North Korea, southeast of Pyongyang, and the country admits foreign visitors only on guided tours, with fixed itineraries, official guides and no independent driving, let alone motorcycling. Still, it is a remarkable place, and knowing about it adds a layer to understanding the Korean peninsula.
The tomb is traditionally attributed to Tongmyong, also known as Jumong, the legendary founder of the Goguryeo kingdom, which ruled much of northern Korea and Manchuria from around the first century BC to 668 AD. Goguryeo moved its capital to Pyongyang in the fifth century, and the tomb was probably built around that time. It was heavily restored and enlarged in the 1990s as a showpiece of national heritage. The nearby Jinpha-ri group consists of about fifteen tombs, some of them decorated with wall paintings, and together they are inscribed as part of the complex of Koguryo tombs. The paintings in these tombs, showing the four guardian animals, stars, hunting scenes and daily life, are among the finest early art in East Asia.
The landscape around is typical of the lowlands near Pyongyang: rolling hills, pine woods and rice paddies, with villages and cooperative farms. The roads are generally empty of private traffic, and travel is slow and controlled. Chunghwa is the nearest town, and Pyongyang, the capital, is the starting point for all tours.
If you are interested in Goguryeo history and want to ride, the better option is the Chinese side of the border, around Ji'an in Jilin province, where the earlier Goguryeo capital and its tombs are also on the UNESCO list and accessible, though China has its own rules about foreign drivers and motorcycles. In South Korea, museums in Seoul exhibit replicas and artefacts. For now, the Tomb of King Tongmyong remains a place better understood through books, photographs and imagination than from the saddle.