Why this ride
From Seoul it runs 134 km to Seoul; allow about 2 h 29 of riding. On the way it passes Jangneung Cluster, Kanghwa Dolmen Sites and back through Jangneung Cluster. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Jeongneung Cluster and Kanghwa Dolmen Sites
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 134 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 29
- 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. Jeongneung Cluster
Jeongneung is a royal tomb in the middle of Seoul, in the wooded hills of Seongbuk district just north of the old city, and it carries one of the more spiteful stories of the early Joseon court. It belongs to Queen Sindeok, the second wife of the dynasty's founder, King Taejo. Her son was named crown prince ahead of Taejo's older sons by his first wife, and one of those older sons, Yi Bang-won, struck back violently, killing his half-brothers and eventually taking the throne as King Taejong.
Read the complete Jeongneung Cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Jeongneung Cluster is where the day begins. Next is Jangneung Cluster.
2. Jangneung Cluster
The Joseon dynasty ruled Korea for over five hundred years, and its kings and queens were buried in carefully chosen spots around the capital, in tombs designed according to Confucian ritual and the principles of geomancy, with a hill behind, water in front and mountains framing the view. In 2009, forty of these tombs were listed by UNESCO as the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty. Jangneung, in Gimpo, just west of Seoul, is the tomb of Wonjong, the father of King Injo, who was elevated to royal rank after his death. It is a quiet, wooded place, with a grassy burial mound, stone statues of officials and animals, and a T-shaped shrine where ancestral rites were held.
Read the complete Jangneung Cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Jangneung Cluster comes up about 34 km into the recorded legs. Next is Kanghwa Dolmen Sites.
3. Kanghwa Dolmen Sites
Ganghwa Island lies in the mouth of the Han River, just north-west of Seoul and Incheon, and on a clear day you can look across a narrow channel of tidal water straight into North Korea. The town of Kaesong is barely twenty-five kilometres away. That closeness gives the island an edge, with watch posts and fences along parts of the shore, but its fame is much older. The Ganghwa dolmens, together with those at Gochang and Hwasun in the south, were listed by UNESCO in 2000, and Korea holds a remarkable share of all the dolmens known in the world.
Read the complete Kanghwa Dolmen Sites write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 67 km into the recorded legs you reach Kanghwa Dolmen Sites. Next is back through Jangneung Cluster.
4. back through Jangneung Cluster
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Jangneung Cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Jangneung Cluster, late in the day. Next is Jeongneung Cluster.
5. Jeongneung Cluster
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Jeongneung Cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Jeongneung Cluster. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Jeongneung Cluster to Jangneung Cluster
Jeongneung Cluster → Jangneung Cluster is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Jangneung Cluster to Kanghwa Dolmen Sites
Jangneung Cluster → Kanghwa Dolmen Sites is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Kanghwa Dolmen Sites to back through Jangneung Cluster
Kanghwa Dolmen Sites → back through Jangneung Cluster is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Jangneung Cluster to Jeongneung Cluster
back through Jangneung Cluster → Jeongneung Cluster is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.