Yaksu-ri Tomb and Anak Tomb No. 3

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1, 64 km on.

2. 2. 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

   Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 comes up about 44 km into the recorded legs. Next is Homam-ri Sasin.

3. 3. 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

   about 93 km into the recorded legs you reach Homam-ri Sasin. Next is Anak Tomb No. 3, 64 km on.

4. 4. 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, about halfway. Next is back through Homam-ri Sasin.

5. 5. back through 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 through Homam-ri Sasin sits at 256 km, about halfway. Next is back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1, 64 km on.

6. 6. back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   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

   back through Tokhwa-ri Tombs No. 1 comes up about 370 km into the recorded legs. Next is Yaksu-ri Tomb.

7. 7. 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

   Yaksu-ri Tomb closes the day.