Daeseong-dong Gaya Tumuli, Gimhae

HappyMidnight · CC BY-SA 4.0

The burial mounds of a kingdom history pushed to the margins, inscribed by UNESCO in 2023.

Before Silla unified the peninsula, the lower Nakdong belonged to the Gaya confederacy — a set of small states living on iron and sea trade with Japan and China. Because Silla absorbed Gaya and the winners wrote the histories, they were all but forgotten; only the mounds at Daeseong-dong kept the evidence. Inside were iron armour, helmets, thousands of iron ingots used as currency, and the bones of people buried alongside their lord. The museum next door cuts one mound in half so you can see four centuries of burials stacked on top of each other.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Daeseong-dong Gaya Tumuli, Gimhae?

April–June and September–November

How much does it cost to visit Daeseong-dong Gaya Tumuli, Gimhae?

Free

How long do you need at Daeseong-dong Gaya Tumuli, Gimhae?

2 hours

What are the opening hours of Daeseong-dong Gaya Tumuli, Gimhae?

09:00–18:00, last entry 17:30; closed Mondays, 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok

Did you know

Inscribed by UNESCO in 2023 as part of the Gaya Tumuli.
Gimhae was the capital of Geumgwan Gaya, the strongest state in the confederacy.
Iron armour, helmets and iron ingots used as currency were found in the tombs.
The Daeseong-dong museum displays a mound sectioned in place.

Travel tips

Take the Busan–Gimhae light rail to Gimhae National Museum station.
Do the museum first and the mounds after; it makes far more sense that way.
The mound field is open grass with no shade — bring a hat in summer.

Source: https://www.gimhae.go.kr/06048/06049.web

Updated: 2026-08-04