Why this ride
From Chunghwa it runs 327 km to Chunghwa; allow about 4 h 42 of riding. The stops in between: Tokhung-ri Tomb, Anak Tomb No. 1 and back through Tokhung-ri Tomb. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group and Anak Tomb No. 1 · 327 km from Chunghwa
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 327 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 42
- 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. Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group
This is one of the few places in a ride collection that you almost certainly cannot ride to on your own, and it is worth saying so plainly. The Tomb of King Tongmyong lies in North Korea, southeast of Pyongyang, and the country admits foreign visitors only on guided tours, with fixed itineraries, official guides and no independent driving, let alone motorcycling. Still, it is a remarkable place, and knowing about it adds a layer to understanding the Korean peninsula.
Read the complete Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group is where the day begins. Next is Tokhung-ri Tomb.
2. 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 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 163 km into the recorded legs you reach Anak Tomb No. 1. Next is back through Tokhung-ri Tomb.
4. back through 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 through Tokhung-ri Tomb, late in the day. Next is Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group.
5. Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group to Tokhung-ri Tomb
Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group → Tokhung-ri Tomb is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
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 back through Tokhung-ri Tomb
Anak Tomb No. 1 → back through Tokhung-ri Tomb is 104 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Tokhung-ri Tomb to Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group
back through Tokhung-ri Tomb → Tomb of King Tongmyong and Jinpha-ri group is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.