Why this ride
340 km from Sŭngho 1-tong to Sŭngho 1-tong, about 4 h 48 of riding. On the way it passes Yaksu-ri Tomb, Anak Tomb No. 1 and back through Yaksu-ri Tomb. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Homam-ri Sasin and Anak Tomb No. 1
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 340 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 48
- 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. Homam-ri Sasin
The Four Guardians, the dragon of the east, the tiger of the west, the red bird of the south and the black tortoise entwined with a snake in the north, rule the walls of the Homam-ri tomb. Painted more than fifteen hundred years ago in the Koguryo kingdom, which dominated Korea and parts of Manchuria in those centuries, they are drawn in sweeping lines and bright mineral colours, and they twist across the stone as if in motion. The tomb is in the area around Pyongyang, in North Korea, and the whole group of Koguryo tombs was listed by UNESCO in 2004.
Read the complete Homam-ri Sasin write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Homam-ri Sasin is where the day begins. Next is Yaksu-ri Tomb.
2. Yaksu-ri Tomb
Not every place on a list like this is somewhere an ordinary visitor can simply ride to, and Yaksu-ri is one of them. The tomb lies in the west of North Korea, near the coastal city of Nampo, and it is one of the painted tombs of Koguryo, an ancient kingdom that ruled much of Korea and Manchuria for several centuries. The group of tombs was listed by UNESCO in 2004, and visits are only possible on organised, escorted tours, which means that planning a motorbike trip here is not realistic.
Read the complete Yaksu-ri Tomb write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Yaksu-ri Tomb comes up about 60 km into the recorded legs. Next is Anak Tomb No. 1, 65 km on.
3. 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
about 169 km into the recorded legs you reach Anak Tomb No. 1. Next is back through Yaksu-ri Tomb.
4. back through Yaksu-ri Tomb
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Yaksu-ri Tomb write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Yaksu-ri Tomb, late in the day. Next is Homam-ri Sasin.
5. Homam-ri Sasin
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Homam-ri Sasin write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Homam-ri Sasin. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Homam-ri Sasin to Yaksu-ri Tomb
Homam-ri Sasin → Yaksu-ri Tomb is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Yaksu-ri Tomb to Anak Tomb No. 1
Yaksu-ri Tomb → Anak Tomb No. 1 is 109 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Anak Tomb No. 1 to back through Yaksu-ri Tomb
Anak Tomb No. 1 → back through Yaksu-ri Tomb is 110 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Yaksu-ri Tomb to Homam-ri Sasin
back through Yaksu-ri Tomb → Homam-ri Sasin is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.