The Construction of the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong

Welcome to King Muryeong’s Tomb Reproduction Exhibition. This exhibition is filled with artifacts that were excavated from the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong. The original tomb of King Muryeong is currently closed for preservation. So, all the exhibits are replicas open to the public. However, the excavated relics are displayed in nearby Gongju National Museum, so why don’t you visit the museum later and take a look at those beautiful treasures? Now we will enter into the exhibition.

This diorama demonstrates the construction process of the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong. The tomb is not only representative of Baekje culture, but is also a valuable historic site that provides concrete evidence of the cultural exchange that took place across East Asia. The excavated items suggest that Baekje served as a bridge for cultural exchange between China and Japan during the 5th century. Now let’s look at how the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong was built.

Although royal tombs of the Baekje Kingdom were usually made by heaping stones, the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong was an exception. Influenced by Chinese customs, it was made of bricks.

First, let’s look at the brick-making process. The construction of the delicate, arched roof of the tomb required a variety of bricks of different shapes and sizes. Indeed, more than 30 types of bricks were used in the construction of the tomb.

After the bricks were made, major building work began. The most interesting point here is that the bricks were laid upon one another without using mortar. An arched tomb such as this could only be built if the bricks fitted together perfectly, like the pieces of a puzzle. Meticulous calculations based on an architectural blueprint ensured that the bricks were laid precisely. Baekje workers first constructed a timber frame to support the structure as it was being built, and then removed the frame upon completion of the brickwork. This creative method of brick construction was an impressive technological feat.