Why this ride
From Anak it runs 394 km to Anak; allow about 6 h 13 of riding. On the way it passes Complex of Koguryo Tombs, Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1, Tokhung-ri Tomb and back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Anak Tomb No. 1 and Tokhung-ri Tomb
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 394 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 6 h 13
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Anak Tomb No. 1
A few kilometres north of Anak Tomb No. 3, the same farming plain holds another Goguryeo burial, Anak Tomb No. 1, and the contrast between them is a nice example of how varied these graves can be. The Goguryeo kingdom, whose people built great mountain fortresses and left thousands of stone tombs across what is now North Korea and north-east China, painted the walls of its aristocratic graves with scenes from life, belief and the afterlife. Tomb No. 1 belongs to the same early group, with a chamber of dressed stone slabs and plastered walls, and it is part of the World Heritage listing of Koguryo tombs that dates from 2004.
Read the complete Anak Tomb No. 1 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Anak Tomb No. 1 is where the day begins. Next is Complex of Koguryo Tombs.
2. Complex of Koguryo Tombs
Near the town of Kangso, southwest of Pyongyang, three earthen mounds rise from the farmland of the Taedong river plain, and inside them lie some of the most beautiful paintings of ancient East Asia. These are the Kangso tombs of the Koguryo kingdom, which ruled much of northern Korea and Manchuria from the first centuries AD until 668. The inner chamber walls are painted with the four guardian animals: the Blue Dragon of the east, the White Tiger of the west, the Red Phoenix of the south and the Black Tortoise of the north, intertwined with a snake. The colours, though faded, are still vivid, and the line work has an energy that photographs barely capture. The Complex of Koguryo Tombs was inscribed by UNESCO in 2004.
Read the complete Complex of Koguryo Tombs write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Complex of Koguryo Tombs comes up about 113 km into the recorded legs. Next is Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1, 45 km on.
3. Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1
This is a place almost no one reading these words will be able to reach on two wheels, and it is better to say so plainly. Tokhwa-ri Tomb No. 1 lies in the countryside north of Pyongyang, in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, among a group of burial mounds from the kingdom of Goguryeo. Independent travel in North Korea is not possible. Foreign visitors, when the country admits them at all, travel only on organised tours with official guides, follow fixed itineraries and are not allowed to drive or ride. Citizens of some countries, including the United States, are barred from travelling there by their own governments, and many others are strongly advised against it.
Read the complete Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 160 km into the recorded legs you reach Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1. Next is Tokhung-ri Tomb.
4. Tokhung-ri Tomb
Beneath a low grassy mound in the countryside south-west of Pyongyang lies one of the finest painted tombs of the ancient kingdom of Koguryo. Tokhung-ri was built in 408 for a high-ranking official, and its walls are covered in murals showing his life: processions, hunting scenes, officials paying respects, mythical creatures and a starry sky with the sun and moon. Unusually, it carries a long ink inscription giving the man's titles and the date, which makes it an important anchor for the history of the whole kingdom. It is part of the Complex of Koguryo Tombs inscribed by UNESCO in 2004.
Read the complete Tokhung-ri Tomb write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Tokhung-ri Tomb, about halfway. Next is back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1, 44 km on.
5. back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 sits at 179 km, about halfway. Next is back through Complex of Koguryo Tombs.
6. back through Complex of Koguryo Tombs
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Complex of Koguryo Tombs write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Complex of Koguryo Tombs comes up about 282 km into the recorded legs. Next is Anak Tomb No. 1, 45 km on.
7. Anak Tomb No. 1
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Anak Tomb No. 1 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Anak Tomb No. 1 closes the day.
Leg by leg
Anak Tomb No. 1 to Complex of Koguryo Tombs
Anak Tomb No. 1 → Complex of Koguryo Tombs is 113 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Complex of Koguryo Tombs to Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1
Complex of Koguryo Tombs → Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 is 47 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 to Tokhung-ri Tomb
Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 → Tokhung-ri Tomb is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Tokhung-ri Tomb to back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1
Tokhung-ri Tomb → back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 to back through Complex of Koguryo Tombs
back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 → back through Complex of Koguryo Tombs is 46 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Complex of Koguryo Tombs to Anak Tomb No. 1
back through Complex of Koguryo Tombs → Anak Tomb No. 1 is 112 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.