If you have love hiking and are looking for a unique way to experience the South Korean capital of Seoul, going on walk along the Seoul City Wall hike along the Hanyangdoseong Trails will be something you will enjoy.
Even if you do not want to attempt the entire walk around the city walls, just choosing to do a section of it will be a memorable experience.
Hanyangdoseong Trail: Hiking The Seoul City Wall
The Hanyangdoseong Trail is made up of six sections:
- Baegak Section
- Naksan Section
- Heunginjimun Section
- Namsan Section
- Sungyemun Section
- Inwangsan Section
Here’s a look at each of these sections below.
Restoring Seoul City Walls
While it is a sprawling metropolis today, Seoul was once an ancient walled city. The walls were laid out following the natural terrain of the mountains around Seoul and played a defensive role in ancient times.
Eventually, military technology made them obsolete and they fell into disrepair. However, from 1980, there was a renewed interest in preserving this cultural heritage of Korea.
Here are some of the milestones in the repair and reconstruction of the wall:
- In 1980, the 1,037.3 meter Semseong section of the wall was repaired.
- 1982, the 1,062.7 meter wall at Dongsung was repaired.
- 1988, the walls and parapets in the Seongbuk section was dismantled and reconstructed.
- 1994, the 91.4 meter wall at Namsan Section was repaired.
- 2003, the 99.3 meter wall next to Gwanghuimun was repaired.
- 2011 the 296 meter wal in the Inwangsan section repaired.
A good place to learn more about the walls is at the Seoul City Wall Museum.
Here’s a look at various section of the Seoul City wall.
1. Baegaek Section
This northern section of the Hanyangdoseong Trail starts from Changuimun Gate before crossing over Baegaksan Mountain and ending at the Hyehwamun Gate.
Baegaksan Mountain is the “master mountain” of the capital. It is also the tallest of the four inner mountains surrounding the capital at 342.5 meters tall. Its shape has been compared to a peony in half bloom.
This was the original starting point for the construction of the Hanyangdoseong.
It was off limits to the public for almost 40 years because of a raid on the Presidential Mansion in 1968 but was reopened to the public in 2007.
You can expect a steep climb from the Changuimun Information Center to the summit of Baegak. However, once you get there, youcan will get a panoramic view of the Gyeongbokgung Palace and as far as the Hangang River.
Take note that you should bring along your ID if you intend to climb Baegak Mountain and the trail is closed on Mondays and at night.
Changuimun Gate was the northwestern gate of the city wall. Its name means the Gate of Manifested Righteousness. The Sukjeongmun Gate in the north was usually closed and so Changuimun Gate was the main thoroughfare in and out of the city.
The original gate was destroyed in the 1590s and the present one was built in 1741, making it the oldest surviving gate on the wall. Inside the pavilion, thee is a commemorative board with the names of the “righteous” merit subjects who have entered the capital via the gate. Phoenix images are engraved on the front of the entranceway and painted on the ceiling.
The Sukjeongmun Gate, which is the city wall’s north gate, was only opened in times of severe drought. It was originally called Sukcheongmun (Gate of Solemn Stillness) but was renamed as Sukjeongmun (Gate of Tranquility) in the mid-16th century.
It was generally closed in 1413 because its thought to interfere with terrestrial energy flow. It would only be open in times of drought as a supplication for rain. The gate is the only one on the wall with a bare ceiling inside its stone archway.
While on this section of the trail, you can see a bullet-ridden pine tree on the path from the Baegakmaru Ridge to Cheongundae. These traces of the bullets that were fired in a battle between the South Korean military and police and North Korean Special Forces that had infiltrated into the capital on January 21, 1968.
A landmark to look out for between Cheongundae and Sukjeongmun Gate is the Baegak Gokseong Lookout. It is an the only Gokseong or elongated lookout open to the public and offers a great view of Seoul’s mountainous terrain.
2. Naksan Section
This section of the Seoul City Wall trail starts at Hyehwamun Gate and runs across Naksan Mountain before ending up at Heunginjimun Gate close to the Dongdaemun Market district.
Naksan Mountain is on the eastern side of the capital and it represents the guardian spirit of the eastern quadrant.
Naksan Mountain is also the lowest of the four inner mountains at 124.4 meters tall. This makes it an easier hike to attempt as compared to the other mountains.
The Hyehwamun Gate (Gate of Gracious Enlightenment) is located between Heunginjimun Gate and Sukjeongmun Gate. It is also known as Dongsomun or Minor East Gate.
Originally, Hyehwamun Gate was named Honghwamun. However, the main eastern gate of the Changgyeonggung Palace also had the same name. As such, the city wall gate was renamed Hyehwamun Gate to avoid confusion.
The gate had its arch and pavilion rebuilt in 1744. The pavilion was dismantled in 1928 before there was a more recent project to rebuild the gate. This latest project for the rebuilding of the gate was completed in 1994.
As you walk along the Naksan trail, you will pass through a section that shows various types of wall construction used over the years near the Catholic University. It is a chance to view how techniques have evolved over time.
Naksan Park, nicknamed Seoul’s Montmartre, is a popular spot to visit because of its views. It is especially popular during sunset and at night. Ihwajang and Seoul National University Hospital can be seen while at the summit.
In addition, the Jangsu and Ihwa neighborhoods along the wall still maintain the old wall-side community atmospheres.
The Jangsu Community is a small that is adjacent to the city wall and Naksan Park. When people moved from the rural areas to the capital during the Japanese Colonial Period, they would gather at the foot of Naksan Mountain. This resulted in the first communities being formed in shanties here.
Ihwa Community is known for its colourful murals on the walls of the buildings and sculptures that give it a bright and cheery atmosphere. You can see the wall that encloses Ihwa Community from the end of the stairway at the top of Naksan.
3. Heunginjimun Section
This section of the wall trail runs from Heunginjimun Gate through Gwanghuimun Gate and ends at the Janchung Arena.
This section is built on the flat-land to the eastern side of the capital. It is the lowest part of the Hanyangdoseong. However, because of the demand for flat land, this is a section where parts of the wall were also cleared to make way for development.
As you trace the wall from Gwanghuimun to the Jangchung-dong residential area, you will find that the wall disappears because it was removed in the 1930s to make way for a housing complex.
Heunginjimun Gate is the east gate of the city wall. It is commonly known as Dongdaemun. The pavilion consists of a double storey structure. The original structure was completed in 1396 and was used by the king to enter and leave the capital.
The semi-circular bastion on the outside of the gate was built in 1397 and serves to repel invaders.
In 1869, the structure was dismantled and a larger gate rebuilt.
Along this stretch of the Hanyangdoseong, there were two flood gates.
Ogansumun is a five-arch floodgate that was built under the city to allow the waters of the Cheonggyecheon Stream to flow out of the city. It originally had an iron grate to prevent people from using it to come into the city but this was removed in 1907.
The wall section above Ogansumun was demolished in 1908.
Igansumun was a two-arch floodgate that was built to allow water from Namsan to flow into the Cheonggyecheon Stream. At one time, the stones from Igansumun was used to build a stadium in 1925.
However, when the stadium was demolished in 2008, the base of the floodgate was found to be in good condition and was restored.
The end of the section of the trail is marked by Gwanghuimun Gate in the southeastern part of the city wall. It was also known as a sluice gate but was also known as a corpse portal as dead bodies were carried through the gate in the olden days.
The gate was moved 15 meters to the south of its original position when there was street widening works from 1974 to 1975.
4. Namsan Section
The Namsan Section of the wall extends from the street behind Janchung Arena to Baekbeom Square, running up along Namsan Mountain.
Namsan Mountain is 270.9 meters tall and is best known for the N Seoul Tower and the Namsan Cable Car that ferries visitors up the mountain.
It is also known as Mongmyoksan and was the “table mountain” of the capital. A state shrine was maintained on Namsan and used to pray for the peace and security of the state.
Beacon platforms on Namsan Mountain also served as part of an early warning system in the event of border incursions or uprisings. There were once five of these beacon platforms. These were built in 1423 and stood till 1895. Currently, there is a reproduction that was completed in 1993.
There is a stretch of the wall that has a wooden stairway following the ridgeline on the east of Namsan Mountain that appears was it did when it was built during the reign of King Taejo from 1392 to 1398. This is also where you can view the best preserved stretch of the wall from the 1990s at Namsam Mountain.
There was once a Namsomun Gate located to the south of Gwanghuimun Gate. It was completed in 1456 before being closed in 1469. The gate was eventually demolished in 1914 to widen the street and all traces of it are gone.
Parts of the Namsan wall were removed in anticipation of construction of various buildings in the 1920 and 1950s. Part of it was also removed to construction the N Seoul Tower.
5. Sungyemun Section
As this section of the wall was built on flat ground, most of it has been lost, demolished to make way for development. It stretches from Baekbeom Square to the former Donuimun site.
However, there are still two places where you can view traces of Hanyangdoseong.
The lower parts of the original wall can still be seen along the walls of the properties from the Korea Chamber of Commerce building to the Pacific Tower.
The lower part of a 50 meter stretch of wall for the Changdeok Girls’ Middle School also has perfectly square stone blocks, once part of the city wall.
However, you can still view the impressive Sungnyemun Gate, commonly known as Namdaemun Gate. As Confucian teachings say that the ruler must face south, Sungnyemun Gate was the main entrance to the Joseon capital.
It was the gate where troops would exit the capital and it was also the gate used for ceremonial events such as the welcoming of the Chinese envoy.
Construction on Sungnyemun Gate started in 1396 and was completed two years later. It was the target of an arson attack in 2008 and reconstructed in 2013. Sungnyemun Gate is designated National Treasure No. 1 and is the largest of all the Hangangdoseong gates.
A missing gate is the Souimun Gate, a minor gate in the southwest of the wall. The gate and its adjoining walls sections were removed in 1914.
6. Inwangsan Section
The Inwangsan section of the Seoul City Wall hik starts at the former site of the Donuimun Gate before crossing over Inwangsan Mountain and ending up at the Hill of Poet Yun Dong-ju.
Donuimun Gate was the west gate of the wall. It was originally built in 1396. It was closed in 1413 and replaced by a new gate called Seojeonmun Gate. But in 1422, Seojeonmun Gate was shut down and Donuimun Gate once again became the main western gate. This led it to being called “new gate”. While the arch and gate pavilion were rebuilt in 1711, the gate was completely removed in 1915.
Inwangsan Mountain is the guardian mountain of the western part of the city. It stands 339.9 meters tall. As you walk along the city wall, a stretch from Skirt Rock at the top of Inwangsan Mountain to the junction leading to Tangchundaeseong Fortress shows the different wall-building techniques that were used throughout the Joseon Dynasty.
