Yungneung belongs to a tradition that most visitors to Korea never see: the royal tombs of the Joseon dynasty, forty of them scattered across the country and listed by UNESCO in 2009. This cluster lies south of Seoul near Hwaseong, a short way from Suwon, and it holds the tomb of Crown Prince Sado and, nearby, that of his son, King Jeongjo. Sado is the tragic figure of the dynasty. In 1762 his father, King Yeongjo, had him sealed inside a rice chest, where he died after eight days, after years of tension at court.
Jeongjo spent much of his reign trying to honour his father. He moved the tomb to this hill, built the great fortress of Hwaseong at Suwon in the 1790s, and made annual pilgrimages here with a long procession, which is re-enacted in some years. Standing in the quiet pine forest, with the mound of grass guarded by stone officials and horses, you get a real sense of that long mourning. Joseon tombs always sit on slopes facing south, with a hill behind and water in front, following geomantic principles, and the layout here is a good example.
The setting is quite suburban: Suwon has well over a million people, Osan is not far, and the roads around are fast, busy and lined with apartment blocks. So the riding is not the draw; it is a short, practical hop from the capital, easily done in an afternoon. Get here early or late in the day to avoid heavy traffic, and note that Korean speed cameras are frequent and strict. Fuel is everywhere and cheap by European standards.
In Suwon, you can eat well. The city is famous for its marinated beef ribs, galbi, and for fried chicken that arrives on a huge platter. Walk a stretch of the Hwaseong Fortress wall in the evening, when it is lit up, and the old and the modern seem comfortable together. Spring has cherry blossom and autumn has gold ginkgo and red maples, which are the best seasons. The Jongmyo ride takes you north into Seoul to the royal ancestral shrine, another listed place with a very different, ceremonial mood.