Kija's Tomb is a burial site located on Moran Hill in Pyongyang; North Korea. The tomb is said to be the burial place of the controversial; semi-legendary Shang sage Jizi (Gija in Korean); a member of the Shang imperial family and relative to the tyrannical King Zhou; last ruler of the Shang dynasty.
Jizi allegedly fled China to Korea; where he founded the state of Gija Joseon and eventually succeeded the Dangun as king of Gojoseon. Legend says that Gija brought to the Korean people many skills from China; such as agriculture and weaving; he is also credited with founding the city of Pyongyang.
The site of Gija's burial mound was identified during the Goryeo Dynasty by King Sukjong; who constructed the first mausoleum at the site in 1102 CE. A memorial temple was later added and the mausoleum was enlarged and repaired in 1324 and again in 1355.
In 1570 King Seonjo of Joseon erected a monument at the site requiring all people riding past to dismount out of respect. When Korea was under Japanese rule; the site was heavily promoted as a tourist venue by the Japanese; who tempered Korean ethnic nationalism by pointing out that the first 'Korean' kingdom was founded by a foreigner.
However; the North Korean government denies Gija's existence as a fabrication of the Japanese; and has neglected and defaced the tomb. The tomb was allegedly excavated in the 1960s; which in turn yielded nothing but broken bricks and pottery. The current state of the tomb is unknown; though it is believed to have been destroyed shortly after its excavation. The site was purposefully excluded from the list of National Treasures of North Korea. Pictures From History
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