The Royal Tomb of King suro

The Royal Tomb of King suro is a symbolic heritage of Gimhae. King Suro was the founded of Garakguk and the first ancestor of family name Gimhae Kim, Heo and Incheon Lee. The foundation legend of Garakguk says that king Suro was incarnated from an egg. So he is named "Suro". King Suro founded Garakguk in Gimhae in 42A.D, and established culture. The old record [Samguktusa] says he was a virtuous king. He worried people's living before ge built a palace. He escaped the busy season of farmers when he built castles against foreign invasion. He died ar the age of 158 in 188A.D.

This tomb round and covered with soil without any special monuments. In 1580 the governor of Yeongnam restored the tomb, he established the stone table, platform and mark in front of the tomb. There is a monument built is 1647, on which is inscribed the words 'The Royal Tomb of King Suro, the founder of Garakguk'. On the Napneung gate in front of the tomb, are inscribed two figures of fish facing each other with stone monument(Suneosang) in the center. On the monument to the left of the tomb is inscribed a pattern of the sun. These patterns resemble those of Ayuta culture in India. [Samgukyusa] says that Queen H? took the Pasa stone Pagoda from India. There can be some relations between these two facts.

Tomb was also illegally excavated. In 1884, King Jijong presented the name 'Sungseon-jeon' and restored the tomb and established Auhyang-guk, Sindo-sigale and seoksu. On the wall side of Bukdudong, Gimhae, there is the tomb og Queen Heo Hwang ok. The tomb is round and covered with soil. There is no other facilities except the monument written 'The tomb of Queen Heo, the queen of king Suro, Garakguk'. This tomb(18m long, 6m wide, 5m high) is surrounded by low stone walls. It was built in the same period as the Royal tomb of King Suro. Each fall, they hold a family ritual named 'Chunhyang Daeje' at the Royal tomb of King Suro.