The relics of the Koguryo culture are primarily located in the territory of Ji'an City in Jilin Province and in Huanren County, Benxi City, Liaoning Province. Koguryo was a border nationality that lived in northeastern China from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 25 AD) to the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581 - 907 AD), with significant influence. Numerous relics have been preserved in the region where they operated, including mainly the cities of Wunü Mountain City, Guonei City, and Wandu Mountain City, as well as twelve royal tombs and twenty-six aristocratic tombs.
Wunü Mountain City was the first capital of the Koguryo Kingdom. It was spaciously laid out and remains well-preserved to this day, especially the ruins of significant buildings from the early Koguryo culture, along with traces of everyday life and military affairs.
Guonei and Wandu were capitals during the early and middle periods of the Koguryo Kingdom (1st to 5th century). Both cities served the longest as capitals. The preserved city wall of Guonei remains firm and solid, retaining its beauty and dignity. Wandu follows the form of the mountainous landscape, with nature and human creations forming a harmonious whole.
Outside the walls of Guonei and Wandu, numerous cave tombs are located. It is the most extensive complex of ancient tombs in all of Northeast Asia. This site, with its tombs of kings and generals, is highly symbolic. Today, numerous large tombs of Koguryo kings and aristocratic tombs decorated with murals still exist. The generals' tombs were built in the form of pagodas, with square stepped altars and stone tomb chambers. They are classic examples of the stone tombs from the late Koguryo culture period. The Taiwangling Tomb is the grand tomb of the 19th Koguryo King Haotai. On the east side of the tomb is a stele for the king, using Chinese characters. This is the oldest surviving written document of the Koguryo Kingdom.
These historical relics are irreplaceable material evidence of the Koguryo Kingdom, possessing significant historical and cultural value.
