Walking tours unveil some of Seoul’s hidden gems
Do you think you have been to most of the must-see spots in Seoul? If you believe you’ve seen them all, you may be wrong. There are a plethora of historic and scenic sites that allow this ever-changing city to unveil its treasures if you dig a little deeper. If you’re looking for a great walk on a beautiful spring day without going far, I suggest you visit the Fortress Wall of Seoul, one of the city’s hidden gems.
The Seoul fortress dates back to the Joseon Dynasty. Taejo, the founder and first king, moved the capital to Hanyang (present-day Seoul), and during the fifth year of his reign, he ordered the construction of fortress walls around Hanyang in order to protect Gyeongbok Palace and the capital from invading enemies. An 18.6-kilometer (11.6-mile) wall was built encircling the city and incorporating four mountains in four directions: Mount Nak in the east, Mount Inwang in the west, Mount Nam in the south and Mount Bugak in the north.
Despite the hardships of war and invasion by outside forces throughout Seoul’s history, the fortress wall still stands tall and allows visitors to have a look at the city’s 600-year history while offering a spectacular view of the beautiful mountains and the urban cityscape of today.
For Seoul residents and tourists, walking tours along the fortress wall have been developed to encompass the four major gates as well as the surviving minor gates.
Depending on your schedule or physical condition, you can customize any walking route, but there are four popular courses designated for your convenience. This article introduces some highlights of the Mount Bugak course, one of the four trekking paths available.
The Changuimun to Hyehwamun section encompasses the walls in the Mount Bugak area, which is the highest mountain ridge. The Mount Bugak trekking course begins with Changuimun, and it is the only gate on the fortress walls that has kept its original shape.
Changuimun means that it lets righteousness be revealed, and it was used as a passage by the troops who rebelled against Gwanghaegun, a king who was regarded by some as unethical, during the coup of 1623. A plaque with the names of the troops still hangs on the gate tower.
Ironically, the gate originally remained closed pursuant to feng shui in an attempt to protect the court from any detrimental events, but the coup was successful after the king commanded it be left open.
The course along the wall in this area passes through a militarized zone, and trekkers are required to present valid identification, such as a passport, to walk this section. In addition, photography is prohibited in some areas, including some parts on the Blue House side, and you will find soldiers warning visitors against even holding their cameras in their hands in the no-photography zones. After a little more trekking along the walls, the reason behind the tight security is revealed in front of you: a bullet pine tree.
In 1968, 31 North Korean spies infiltrated Seoul to attack the Blue House and assassinate the president. Passing the Military Demarcation Line, they made their way to Mount Bugak, which is on the way to the Blue House. Their true intentions were soon revealed when the North Korean spies began firing guns and throwing grenades blindly, killing Korean soldiers as well as innocent civilians. During fierce fighting between the two sides, 28 spies were killed by the Korean military and the police. Two survivors escaped while one was arrested. In the middle of the wild shootout, a 200-year-old pine tree was hit with 15 bullets, and it still stands on Mount Bugak with its wounds marked with red paint. Due to this incident, public access to this area was limited for more than 40 years ,and it remains closely guarded today.
With that tragic history behind us, the fortress wall leads trekkers to the next part of the fortress on a steep slope towards Baekakmaru, the Baekak Mountain Ridge. Since this section consists of scary stairs on the steep slope, it is regarded as the most difficult course among the walking routes. If you are worried about your physical strength or endurance, continuing the trek in the opposite direction, away from Hyehwamun is an option.
The tougher course, however, will reward you with a spectacular panoramic view of the mountain and the extensive fortress walls. Gokjang, an overhang once used to spot and attack enemies climbing up the mountain and the wall, presents an especially scenic view. Between Baekakmaru and the Chotdaebawi (a candlestick-shaped rock) observation deck, you can look over the city’s iconic landmarks, Gyeongbok Palace and Gwanghwamun Plaza, set in downtown Seoul perfectly harmonized with the natural landscape.
On some stones belonging to the wall, you will find old engravings of Chinese characters. These are the names of those who were responsible for the construction hundreds of years ago. In addition, the periods of construction can be easily differentiated by the size of the stones and the building techniques.
There were three major phases of construction during the reigns of Taejo, Sejong and Sukjong. During Taejo’s reign, small uncut stones were stacked perpendicularly and rather irregularly. During Sejong’s reign, the stones are more rectangular in shape and are stacked with bigger ones at the bottom and smaller ones on top. The walls from Sukjong’s period show the rapid evolution of fortress-building technology with well trimmed, evenly stacked stones throughout.
The wall runs to Sukjungmun, the north gate and one of the four major gates in the capital. Meaning to govern -?a country?- sternly, Sukjungmun was rarely used for everyday access, but for symbolic purposes. According to the Yin and Yang and the five elements theory, the north gate represents Ying and it symbolizes water. Therefore, while Namdaemun was regularly opened, Sukjungmun was opened during the Joseon period in times of drought to encourage the flow of water into the city.
After Sukjungmun is Waryong Park, and the lay of the land resembles a reclining dragon as the name implies. Wa means to recline and ryong means a dragon in Korean. Walking down along the ridge, the panoramic view of nature in the heart of the metropolis turns to a harmony of skyscrapers and nature. The Mount Bugak trekking course wraps up at Hyehwamun in Jongno District. Hyehwamun, which was also called Dongsomun, means that it is a small gate in the east, and it is the beginning of another fortress walking path heading to the south of Mount Nak.
Some walking courses offer strenuous exercise, but most routes offer a pleasant walking experience in the warm spring weather. It’s the best way to explore both the modern Seoul and its 600-year-old history. Recently, Jongno District developed the Seoul fortress tour into a stamp tour where you can receive a commemorative badge upon completing the four main courses.
You can get stamps at different locations including Heunginjimun, Donguimun, Sungnyemun and Sukjungmun. Although, as we are in high-tech Seoul, never mind stamps on paper. Of course there’s an app for it!
More information can be found at http://english.jongno.go.kr
By Michelle Kang Contributing writer [michyk@sba.seoul.go.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)