King Munmu's Underwater Tomb

North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea

The ashes of King Munmu, 30th ruler (661-681) of Silla, are supposed to be placed in an underwater tomb, next to some rocks 200m from the coast. Archaeologists have found no signs of a royal grave there, so visitors can just look at the rocks and wonder if the legend is true or not. You may not explore the area yourself - access to the rocks is prohibited. There is a beach close to the rocks, with its rough sand and stones it's not very comfortable. A bit north along the beach there is the Yigyeondae pavilion from where you can also see the rocks. The pavilion is built on a place where the Munmu's son, King Shinmu according to a legend received a magical flute called manpasikjeok from a sea dragon. The flute would have been able to scare enemies away, heal illnesses, and bring forth rain and sun.