  Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom, China
Ruins of the cities and tombs of the ancient Koguryo Kingdom are located in Huanren County, in Lioning Province and in Ji'an, in Jilin Province, China. These are the remains of the Koguryo culture, which flourished between 277 BC to AD 668. The dynasty controlled a territory in northern China and part of the northern half of the Korean peninsula.
The three ancient cities of the Koguryo Kingdom are Wunu Mountain City, Guonei City and Wandu Mountain City. So far, Wunu Mountain City has only been partially excavated. Guonei City is located within present-day Ji'an, and was a supporting capital of the kingdom after the Koguryo capital relocated to present-day Pyongyang. Wandu Mountain City has a large ancient palace and remains of 37 tombs of the imperial family as well as the nobles. The tombs display remarkably elaborate ceilings, which are designed to be roof wide without support columns. The ceiling carry the load of stone and mound that were placed over them.
The ruins of the cities and tombs of ancient Koguryo were inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 28th session of the World Heritage Committee which met in Suzhou, China, on 28 June to 7 July, 2004.
The inscription of the Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom in China is related to a similar inscription in North Korea entitled Complex of Koguryo Tombs.
Photos of Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom
5th century tombs of the rulers of Koguryo, China
Author: Petrusbarbygere (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Tomb of King Tongmyong, founder of Koguryo Kingdom in Pyongyang, North Korea
Author: Kok Leng Yeo (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
World Heritage Site Inscription Details
Location: N 41 09 25 E 126 11 14
Inscription Year: 2004
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, II, III, IV, V
Location Map
View Koguryo Kingdom in a larger map
Visiting Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom
The sites to visit are located in Huanren County, Liaoning Province, sitting right at the border with North Korea. The main cities here are Dalian and Harbin. You would do well to explore all the sights in Northeast China, arranging with a local agent.
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