Hanyangdoseong Audio Guide 5_Baegak Trail

[Hanyangdoseong, embracing nature]
* Course : Yun Dong-ju Literature House - Changuimun Gate - Bugaksan Mountain -Sukjeongmun Gate - Sukjeongmun Gate - Waryong Park - Hyehwamun Gate

Hanyangdoseong Excursions Trail in Baegak is the road to pass thru village, mountain and forest. The Trail makes us to see inside and outside, center and rural, to think life of yesterday and today. If a stone is put on somewhere, it is just a stone. But if a stone and another get together for being stacked, these are not mere stones but become strong wall and history. Their character is unchangeable but their name and role are changed. Cultural heritage could not be treasured by alone but with us, ‘together’.

Hanyangdoseong Excursions Trail consists of the Four Great Gates: Heunginjimun Gate, Sungnyemun Gate, Donuimun Gate, Sukjeongmun Gate. And the Four Small Gates: Gwanghuimun Gate, Souimun Gate, Changuimun Gate, Hyehwamun Gate. Now where we are going to is started from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 2 and it ends at Hansung Univ. Station Exit 5. We will see Sukjeongmun Gate, Changuimun Gate and Hyehwamun Gate. Let me introduce the last Excursions Trail.

Take a bus from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 2, then take off at Yun Dong-ju Literature House. Just beside of a bus station, we can see the Statue of Deputy Commissioner ChoeGyu-sik. He was died while fierce gun battles with North Korean commandos who struck the Blue House in 1968. Baegak Trail shows our nation’s suffering hurt for divided.
Nearby a sign for Changuimun Gate, there is a memorial stone written Source of Cheonggyecheon Stream. Changuimun Gate, often called Jahamun Gate, is placed between Inwangsan and Baegaksan Mountain. And the gate tower here is only remained among the four small gates. Standing on Changuimun Gate Tower, imagine old view of Hanyangdoseong. Baegak Trail is protection zone of military installations so we need to present our identification card such as a passport to get a pass. Open hour is 9 am to 4 pm on Mar to Oct and 10 am to 3 pm on Nov to Feb.

Wear Bugaksan pass on your neck. This road width as two abreast is with stone and wooden stair. When we are out of breath to climb, we will arrive at Dolgorae Rest Area. So take rest awhile then keep walking again. Usually we take a look at the scenes above the wall hanging low, but now we are seeing thru a hole in the wall. It makes us feel strange for scenes. It seems to see thru a window made by nature.
When we get harder, we will see Baegak Rest Area. Take rest and relax. Then see Inwangsan Mountain Trail and Buam-dong housings visible in the distance. Let’s go again to a top of Bugaksan called Baegak-maru(wooden floor). There is a sign stone written 342m Baegaksan Mountain which is old name of Bugaksan Mountain. We can see towered Namjeong Bawi rock carved by nature.

Passing by Baegakmaru, there is a strange pine tree, which red signs dotted on its body. Red signs are 15 bullet-hole when North Korean commandos struck the Blue House in 1968. It must be fierce gun battles. Now let’s pull ourselves to Cheongwoondae. What we must see nearby Cheongwoondae is the names carved on the wall’s stone. When the wall was being built, commissioner’s position and name was carved. It shows us their strong responsibility to build the wall. This carved names gives us thought whether we live today betting our names on.

Out of Cheongwoondae, from now on we need to walk along an outer wall. Get out of the wall, walk down to wooden stair. Along the wall, we will find Ammun. Then, get in there, follow a sign of BaegakGokseong so we will see BaegakChotdae Bawi Rock (Candle rock). And let’s go to Sukjeongmun Gate which is northern gate of Hanyangdoseong. Sukjeongmun Gate is the only one gate connected to the wall among existing gates. We will find out Sukjeongmun Gate’s tiled roof. Its various types of shapes on hip may stop our step. What makes Sukjeongmun Gate beautiful is wide sky becoming its background.

Out of Sukjeongmun Gate, head to Waryong Park. This road will relax us with pine needle fragrance while walking. Look around there are lots of pine trees. Pine tree is strong even if ground is barren. But it grows too slowly to compete with another trees. So pine trees like to live in groups. The government is protecting pine trees here to plant according to its character. We can think over meaning about ‘together’ that pine trees and the wall give us. Then let’s keep walking.

Towards Waryong Park, Mal Bawi Rock (Horse rock)is shown up. This Observatory is the best view of attraction assigned by Seoul City. So feel free to stay longer to look around. Return a pass to Mal Bawi Rock Information Center then keep walking to Waryong Park. This road is on mountain. The wall is not here so we need to check a sign continuously. At the entry we will see a ‘quickset door’, which is eco-friendly fence made by plants. This beautiful fence was disappeared on Japanese colonial era but restored in support of Changdeokgung Palace. On a mountain it is easy to get lost. So if we meet someone, it’s very easy to become a friend. Because we feel thankful there is someone to ask about a road.

Out of forest road, we will come to the wall again. At this time, don’t get out of Ammun, take a walk along an outer wall following a sign of ‘Hanyangdoseong Hyehwamun Gate, Naksan’. This road is very near the wall and private houses. Here the wall and houses gathered in a huddle is Bukjeong Village. Seongbuk-dong of Bukjeong Village has Simujang of Man he Han Yong-un, Sanghu Lee Tae-jun’s House, and Choi Sunu House. If a kind of these old houses is existing more, the more stories of people living long ago could stay with us. As many as stories damaged, I feel so sad.

While walking along the wall, if street is shown up, cross to opposite side of back gate of Seoul Science High school. Then check a sign of Hyehwamun Gate, get into a road. The wall of this road is made by old method. Some part of the wall is sum up to cement fence. But some part is still conserved itself. We can walk on a road of a relic of the past and modern building coexisting together. Keep moving to Hyehwamun Gate, northeastern gate of Hanyangdoseong. We get to all Hanyangdoseong. Look around Hyehwamun Gate, then walk to Hansung Univ. Station. Straightly we will arrive at Exit 5.

There is something we can encounter for sacrifice of our time. If we don’t walk along the wall built by sweat and sacrifice of a lot of people, we would never discover history and meaning of Hanyangdoseong Excursions Trail. Above all, we could never realize that road today is connecting to past roads and that Knowing for my being is not meaninglessly cast out on this world.
How about we newly dream our story today and keep building up, inherit the spirit of valuable cultural heritage? With all my heart, I hope you keep walking on your road of today and tomorrow. Thank you for walking with me on the road of Hanyangdoseong.