Anak Tomb No. 3 and Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Anak Tomb No. 3

   Some tombs hold their dead, and others hold a whole world. Anak Tomb No. 3 in South Hwanghae Province is one of the great painted tombs of the Goguryeo kingdom, which ruled much of Korea and Manchuria from the first century BC to 668 AD. The chamber, built of stone slabs and covered with plaster, is decorated with murals showing a kitchen, a stable, a smokehouse, musicians and a long procession of soldiers, officials and attendants, some two hundred and fifty figures by the usual count. An inscription dated to 357 AD names a man called Dong Shou, a refugee from the Chinese states, and for years that was taken to be the tomb's owner, though some scholars argue it may have belonged to a Goguryeo king.

   Read the complete Anak Tomb No. 3 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Anak Tomb No. 3 is where the day begins. Next is Complex of Koguryo Tombs.

2. 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 95 km into the recorded legs. Next is Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1, 55 km on.

3. 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 142 km into the recorded legs you reach Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1. Next is back through Complex of Koguryo Tombs.

4. 4. 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, late in the day. Next is Anak Tomb No. 3, 55 km on.

5. 5. Anak Tomb No. 3

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Anak Tomb No. 3 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Anak Tomb No. 3. That is the ride.