Why this ride
A 492 km round trip from Yonggang-ŭp - roughly 6 h 47 in the saddle. It goes by way of Anak Tomb No. 1, Mausoleum of King Kongmin and back through Anak Tomb No. 1. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Tokhung-ri Tomb and Mausoleum of King Kongmin
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 492 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 6 h 47
- 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. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Anak Tomb No. 1, 103 km on.
2. 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 comes up about 103 km into the recorded legs. Next is Mausoleum of King Kongmin.
3. Mausoleum of King Kongmin
Of all the places on the list of world heritage, the Mausoleum of King Kongmin must be one of the hardest to reach on two wheels, because it lies in North Korea, in the hills west of the old city of Kaesong.
Read the complete Mausoleum of King Kongmin write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 246 km into the recorded legs you reach Mausoleum of King Kongmin. Next is back through Anak Tomb No. 1, 102 km on.
4. back through 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
back through Anak Tomb No. 1, late in the day. Next is Tokhung-ri Tomb.
5. Tokhung-ri Tomb
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
Back at Tokhung-ri Tomb. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Tokhung-ri Tomb to Anak Tomb No. 1
Tokhung-ri Tomb → Anak Tomb No. 1 is 103 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Anak Tomb No. 1 to Mausoleum of King Kongmin
Anak Tomb No. 1 → Mausoleum of King Kongmin is 143 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Mausoleum of King Kongmin to back through Anak Tomb No. 1
Mausoleum of King Kongmin → back through Anak Tomb No. 1 is 143 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Anak Tomb No. 1 to Tokhung-ri Tomb
back through Anak Tomb No. 1 → Tokhung-ri Tomb is 104 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.