Thursday 14 May 2020

[ Seoullo 7017] - From Hanyang to Seoul Walking Tour

We booked Free Seoullo 7017 Walking Tour with Ms Choi, and we received the confirmation with the details of our English-speaking Tour Guide and meeting place.


For reservation please click this link:
 Seoullo 7017 Walking Tour 

There were other interesting free guided tours but sadly we didn't have enough time to join them. Actually, instead of the morning tour, we wanted to join the Seoullo 7017 night course to admire the vibrant lighted night view which might have been more popular as it was fully booked.

After all the participants arrived, we started the "From Hanyang to Seoul" Tour by walking along Seoullo 7017’s green pedestrian walkways to see the transformation of Seoul from Hanyang during Joseon Dynasty.

We learned about the history of how Seoul has changed over the past 600 years to become the great modern city it is today.



Culture Station Seoul 284

 
The old Seoul Station was designated as Historic Site, 
and known as "Culture Station Seoul 284".

 
The new station is just next to the old station. It's a must stop-over place for me
on my trips to purchase tickets and last-minute shop at Lotte Mart.

A small humble wood Namdaemun Station was located here before
the old Seoul Station was built in 1925.



In preparation for the Japanese advancing into China, the Japanese colonials built
Gyeongsong Station on the site of Namdaemun Station.
The station was modelled after Lucerne Station in Switzerland.

Seoullo 7017


Do you know that the Seoullo 7017 pedestrian walkways and
the elevated park was previously an overpass highway? 

The Seoullo 7017 project transformed the unused highway (constructed in 1970)
 into a green space for pedestrians (2017).

The number 17 also refers to the number of pedestrian walkways that make up Seoullo.

Our guide told us that this building (on the left) is the only one connected to Seoullo
and got profits after the opening of Seoullo. The rest of the buildings
refused to participate by connecting to their buildings.
They truly regret their decision now.

Sungnyemun Gate

Sungnyemun (崇礼), Korea’s National Treasure No. 1, is one of the
Eight Gates in the Fortress Wall that surrounded Seoul.

Everyone had to pass through this gate to enter Hanyang during the Joseon era. The gate was built in the 5th year of King Taejo (1396) and was rebuilt in 1398. 

It was interesting to learn that the tablet of Sungnyemun was written vertically unlike the other gates that were written horizontally. The reason is that the two characters "sung" and "nye" together signifies "flame" and are intended to suppress the fire of Mt Gwanaksan which stands opposite to Gyeongbokgung.  


 Sungnyemun from Seoullo 7017

You can walk to Sungnyemun (Namdaemun = Southern Gate) from Seoullo 7017 exit no. 4. It's located in Jung-gu between Seoul Station and Seoul Plaza. Namdaemun Market is just next to Syngnyemun (Exit no. 2).

Hanyangdoseong (Seoul City Wall)

Old map of Seoul (首善全圖) showing 18.6 km Hanyang City Wall
circles along the ridges of Bugaksan, Naksan and Inwangsan with
four main gates and four auxiliary gates in between main gates.

 The Wall is designated as Historic Site No. 10.
Sadly, only a fraction now remains as most of them
were destroyed during the Japanese occupation.

Hanyangdoseong was built to safeguard Hanyang (Seoul) and to demark
the city's boundary. It serves as a city wall for 514 years (1396 - 1910),
longer than any other city walls in the world.

This city wall was being built batch by batch therefore different types of stones
and construction methods used in different sections of the walls.


Rough natural stone, Chiseled kernel (corn) shaped,  uniform stone slabs
40 - 45 cm rectangle and 60 x 60 cm square block dressed this wall.
 
 
Some of the stones were engraved with names or their ranks as during
King Sukjong period, he was using soldiers to repair the city wall.

Here are some holes (straight and slope) to put weapons for aiming
at the enemies. The wall is a way to defend the soldiers behind it.



Namsan Trail

 
 Namsan Fortress Wall has a birds-eye view of Seoul City. 

 Itaewon Class (이태원 클라쓰), the recent popular K-drama scenes
of the main actor, Saeroyi meeting different people were filmed here. 

 
View of the park from the city wall.
 
N Seoul Tower sits on the summit of Namsan surrounded by cherry blossoms.

You can stroll up to N Seoul Tower from Namsan trail. It's one of the best trails as it offers a picturesque view of the city alongside the fortress wall.

N Seoul Tower is one of the most popular attractions offering a 360° view of the city.

It was originally built in 1969 for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television and radio, it has been open to the public since 1980. After extensive renovations in 2005, the Tower was reopened as a complex cultural space. Various stories about Hanyangdoseong are displayed on the second floor of the Tower Observatory. 

Baekbeom Square

The statue of Kim Gu was erected at Baekbeom Square in 1968 to commemorate Kim, 
a Korean independence activist, and is devoted to his work. It is located between 
Children's Square and Central Square in Namsan Park.

Ahn Jung Geun Memorial Museum

Ahn Jung Geun Memorial Museum was founded to commemorate Ahn.

He is an independence activist hero who fostered younger students to fight for Korean independence and assassinated Ito Hirobumi who led the Japanese occupation of Korea. 

On his calligraphy work Gyeongcheon (敬天), Chinese characters

“大韓國人 安重根,” meaning “Ahn Jung-geun of Great Korea,”
with a handprint of his left hand, which doesn't have the last joint of
his ring finger because he'd cut it off with his comrades in 1909 as a pledge to kill Ito.
  
The museum features exhibitions that offer hands-on experience to remind 
people that Ahn sacrificed his life for the independence of the country.

Namsan Samsoon Stairs

Samsoon Stairs (삼순이 계단) was featured in the best drama in 2005
"My Name is Kim Sam-Soon" which was famous for its last kiss scene.

Our guide asked my hubby and me to reenact the scene... LOL!
(Thanks for the lovely photos, Ms Choi)

This place was also featured in some of the dramas I watched such as Devilish Joy; Jugglers; and Let's Fight Ghost.

Hoehyeon Sibeom Apartments 
 
Built in 1970, Hoehyeon Sibeom Apartments is one of the Heritage Assets.
 
 A nice Villa next to the apartments.

Namsan Pedestrian Overpass

 Walked past this Namsan Pedestrian which was built in Dec 1961.

Completed our Hanyang to Seoul tour. 
Our guide brought us back to Seoullo 7017.
            
I totally recommend joining this free walking tour. It was an awesome experience learning more about historical sites such as Sungnyemun, Hanyangdoseong, Seoul Station and Seoullo 7017. You'll see the 600 years transformation of Seoul from Hanyang during Joseon Dynasty.

Related Posts:

www.meheartseoul.blogspot.com (Vera Lee)