Baegak Mountain Trail > Excursions Along The Wall : Seoul City Wall

Baegak Mountain Trail

Section : Changuimun Gate ~ Hyehwamun Gate
Distance : 4.7km
Away : about 3 hours

The Baegak Trail runs from Changuimun to Hyehwamun, and crosses Baegak (Bugaksan, 342m), which was the main mountain of Seoul four inner mountains in old Seoul according to geomantic theory and the highest one among them. After a unit of North Korean Special Forces infiltrated Seoul in 1968, public access to this area was limited for about forty years. It was finally reopened to the public in 2007.

• Opening hours : Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week

Transportation

[Changuimun] ❸ Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3 → Green bus No. 7212, 1020 or 7022 → Get off the bus off Jahamungogae Ridge → 2 minutes on foot
[Sukjeongmun Information Center] ❹ Hansung Univ. Station Exit 6 → Green bus No. 1111 or 2112 → Get off at Myungsu School → 20 minutes on foot
[Malbawi Information Center]
1) ❸ Anguk Station Exit 2 → Jongno Town Bus No. 02 → Get off at the Sungkyunkwan Univ. Back Gate → 20 minutes on foot
2) ❺ Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2 → Jongno Town Bus No. 11 → Get off at Samcheong Park → 20 minutes on foot
[Bukjeong Village / Waryong Park] ❹ Hangsung Univ. Station Exit 6 → Seongbuk Town Bus No. 03 → Get off at Palgakjeong Pavilion → 5 minutes on foot
[Hyehwamun] ❹ Hangsung Univ. Station Exit 5 → 5 minutes on foot

Section main points

Changuimun Gate
Changuimun, situated on the northwest section of the wall, between mounts Inwangsan and Baegak, is the only auxiliary gate whose gate tower has survived to the present day. This gate tower was destroyed in 1592 during the war against Japan, and was reconstructed in 1741. Changuimun is now also known as Jahamun, since the scenery around the gate seems similar to that of scenic site Jahadong in Gaegyeong, the capital of Goryeo.
Baegangmaru Summit
Baegangmaru Summit is the highest point of the wall; a stone post inscribed with Baegak, Altitude of 342m stands there. During the first construction project, the whole length of the wall was divided into 97 sections, which were named in the order of the characters in the Thousand Character Classic. The first section was called Cheon (天; sky) and the last one Jo (弔; condolences). Baegakgmaru Submit is the first ‘Cheon (天; sky)’ section of the wall.
January 21, Pine tree
There is a pine tree on the circuit path running down towards Cheongundae from Baegangmaru Summit (top of mountain). This approximately 200-year-old pine tree bears the traces of about fifteen bullets made during the gun battle between the South Korean military and police and the North Korean Special Forces unit, who infiltrated Korea on January 21, 1968. From this spot, a wide panorama between Bukhansan Mountain and Baegak spreads out beyond the wall.
Patrol Routes
Patrol Routes are where soldiers would patrol around the inside and outside of the wall during the Joseon Dynasty.
Sukjeongmun Gate
Sukjeongmun, situated on the north side of the wall, is the only remaining gate whose sides are still connected with the wall. Built in 1976, the gate tower was an entirely new addition to the wall.
Malbawi Information Center and Scenic Views
Malbawi is a large rock in Samcheong Park. There are two opinions about the origin of the rock’s name because of its different meanings in the same sound. Some said that the word "Mal" means "the last one" because the rock is positioned at the foot of Baegak, while others said that it means "horse" as people tethered their horses to the rock. There are two exellent view points around Malbawi; one directs to Seongbuk-gu, another directs to Jongno-gu. To get to the points, it needs to carefully check the signs since the main trail splits into several different places such as the Sukjeongmun Information Center, Malbawi Information Center, Samcheong Park, and Waryong Park.
Bukchon Hanok Village
Bukchon, an old community located between Palace of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, was residential area to royal family members as well as the families of high government officials in Joseon. In this area, different types of several hundred Korean traditional houses (hanok) clustered together, including Yun Posun's House in Anguk-dong, which was built towards the end of the Joseon. Most of the houses were built in the 1910s and 1920s or, in the case of the urban-style hanok, from the 1930s.
Bukjeong Village
Picturesque Bukjeong Village spreads out beyond the Ammun (Secret Path), which is located on the wall towards Seongbuk-dong, near Waryong Park. The village consists of a cluster of some 500 tiled-roofed houses built in the 1960-70s, and is a well-known shooting location for TV dramas and films set in 1960-70s Seoul.
Traces of Hanyangdoseong
Traces of the wall can be seen from the backstreet of Kyungshin High School to Hyehwamun. Some parts of the wall were used as the school fence (wall), or stone blocks were taken from the wall to build the foundations for houses. Traces of the wall can be seen again in front of the Dusan Villa Building, and they extend for about 150m towards the Official Residence of the Seoul Mayors.
Hyehwamun Gate
It is Dongbukmun (Northeast Gate), one of the four auxiliary gates on the wall. It was originally called Honghwamun at the time of its construction in 1396, but was renamed as Hyehwamun in 1511. The gate tower was demolished in 1928, followed by Hongye(halfarched door) in 1938. However, Hyehwamun was reconstructed in its current location, a little further north from its original site, in 1994.

Hanyangdoseong|