| Title: World Heritage Special Stamps. | ||||
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Stamp Serial#
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2802- 2803 |
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KPC#
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C-2220- C-2221 |
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Scott#
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Date of Issue
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6/30/2011 | |||
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Quantity
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500,000 ea. | |||
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Denomination
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250 won ea. | |||
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Design
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Geonwolleung, the tomb of King Taejo, Yeongneung, the tomb of King Sejong |
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Engraver
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Heo, Yeong-suk | |||
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Designer
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Park, Eun-kyeong | |||
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Image Area
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52mm × 24mm, 52mm × 36mm |
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Perforation
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13 | |||
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Sheet Composition
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2 × 4 + 2 | |||
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Paper
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White unwatermarked | |||
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Printing process
and colors |
Offset, four colors + Intaglio, one color. | |||
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Print
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Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation | |||
| Description | ||||
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The Tombs were built over five centuries starting from Geonwolleung, the tomb of
Taejo Lee Seong-Gye (1335~1408), the founder of the Joseon Dynasty to the tomb of Sunjong, the 27th and last
king of the dynasty. The sites of the royal tombs were chosen in consideration of Pungsu (Feng Shui), the
theory of divination based on topography: having their back protected by a hill as they face south toward water,
with layers of mountain ridges in the distance and the burial mound located on a hillside. The structural plan of
the royal tombs is as follows: first, you go past the Jaesil, the space for worship preparation, then follow the
woodland path, cross the stone bridge over the waterway, and finally get to the starting point of the space for
sacrificial service where those alive meet with the dead. When you pass through the red-spiked gate which
signals that the space is sacred, you arrive at Sillo, the road used by the spirits and Eoro, the road used by
kings. If you follow these Sillo and Eoro, you get to Jeongjagak, the house built before the burial mound to
perform ceremonial rites. Beyond the Jeongjagak, the space is reserved for the dead. The burial mound is
surrounded by various stone figures of people and animals as well as low fences, together with a dense forest
of pine trees. All the details on the building of the royal tombs are recorded in Salleungdogamuigwe and have
been passed down to the present.
Unlike in other nearby countries during contemporary times, the royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty show very unique characteristics. They were built in harmony with nature taking full advantage of their surrounding natural topography. Having lasted for over 500 years, they compressively embody those times’ philosophy, political history, and view of art. They are exceptional both in space arrangement and in the artistic uniqueness of both the architecture and the figures of people and animals. Even after 1910 when the Joseon Dynasty collapsed, royal descendents continued to perform rites to their ancestors, thus passing down the invaluable cultural tradition of the Joseon Dynasty. In recognition of their high historic and cultural value, UNESCO has designated and protected the 40 remaining royal tombs as World Heritages in 2009. Featured in the stamp are Geonwolleung, the tomb of Taejo Lee Seong-Gye, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, and Yeongneung, which has the joint burial mound of King Sejong (1397~1450), the 4th king and Queen Soheon, his wife. King Sejong achieved the most outstanding accomplishments among the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. The sheet margin features Mongneung with three burial mounds of King Seonjo (1552~1608) and his two wives, Queen Ui-in and Queen Inmok. | ||||
