Around Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province
The Tomb of King Munmu (661-681 CE), located off Bonggil Beach on a tiny rocky islet in the East Sea. The king gave specific instructions to be buried in the sea after his death so that he would become a dragon and protect the Silla Kingdom. The rocky island, about 200 metres in circumference, is divided by a cross-shaped waterway, forming a pool at the centre. At the bottom of the pool is a granite rock under which the cremated remains of King Munmu are supposedly buried. In the foreground women perform a shamanistic ceremony.
Photo by Ludo Kuipers, Tue Jun 17, 2014