Along the Seoul City Wall Trail, Changuimun–Hyehwamun Trail

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Bugaksan Mountain

Along the Seoul City Wall Trail, Changuimun–Hyehwamun Trail

Published Date : Dec 22, 2022 / Edited Date : Feb 01, 2024

This route takes travelers along the old Seoul City Wall, which are 5-10 meters
high and were erected to defend against marauding tribes in the north during the

Joseon period. The Seoul City Wall Trail is 18.6 kilometers long and passes through

Namsan Mountain and Inwangsan Mountain until it reaches Bugaksan Mountain.
In particular, the path from the gates of Changuimun to Hyehwamun is packed full of Bugaksan's beautiful scenery.

Hiking route

Changuimun Gate Dolgorae Shelter Baegak Shelter Baegakmaru Peak 1.21 Incident Pine Tree Cheongundae Peak Cheongundae Shelter Gokjang Chotdaebawi Rock Sukjeongmun Gate Malbawi Information Center Waryong Park Hyehwamun Gate

Total travel distance 5km

Average travel time 2 hours 10 minutes

Difficulty average

COURSE MAP

A diagram showing the course of the Changuimun-Hyehwamun course, which is the 4th course of Bukaksan Mountain. The section from Changuimun, the starting point, to Dolphin Shelter is difficult, the section from Dolphin Shelter to Baegak Shelter is difficult, the section from Baegak Shelter to Baegak Maru is difficult, the section from Baegak Maru to the 1.21 Incident Pine Tree is easy, and from the 1.21 Incident Pine Tree The section from Cheongundae to Cheongundae is easy, the section from Cheongunda to Cheongundae Shelter is easy, the section from Cheongunda Shelter to Gokjang is easy, the section from Gokjang to Chotdaebawi is easy, the section from Chotdaebawi to Sukjeongmun is easy, Sukjeongmun to Malbawi The difficulty of the section to the observatory is easy, the section from Malbawi Observatory to Waryong Park is easy, and the section from Waryong Park to Hyehwamun, the destination, is normal.

A graph showing the change in altitude between the Changuimun and Hyehwamun courses, which are the 4 courses of Mt. Bukak. Total length 5 km. The starting point, Changuimun, is about 0 km away and the altitude is about 110 m. The distance to the Dolphin Shelter is about 0.4 km, and the altitude is about 190 m. The Baegak Shelter is about 0.7 km long and the altitude is about 310 m. The chalk floor distance is about 0.75 km, and the altitude is about 340 m. The 1.21 avalanche pine tree distance is about 0.87 kilometers, and the altitude is about 300 meters. The distance to Cheongundae is about 1 kilometer, and the altitude is about 290 meters. Cheongwoondae Shelter is about 1.1 kilometers long and about 260 meters high. The distance of the track is about 1.5 km, and the altitude is about 300 m. Chotdaebawi Rock is about 2 kilometers long and has an altitude of about 250 meters. Sukjeongmun is about 2.3 kilometers long and about 210 meters high. The distance to the Malbawi Observatory is about 2.9 kilometers, and the altitude is about 190 meters. Waryong Park is about 3.4 kilometers long and about 160 meters high. The distance to Hyehwamun, the destination, is about 5 kilometers, and the altitude is about 40 meters.

INFORMATION

About the trail

Bring the appropriate safety gear such as hiking poles and firmly grip the handrails installed along the steep rocky path from Changuimun Gate to Baegakmaru Peak.

Shelter and hiking tips

The 1.6-kilometer section from Waryong Park to Hyehwamun Gate takes around 30 minutes. It would be a good idea to take a moment to recharge at Malbawi Observatory

Transportation

Take bus No. 1711 or 7212 outside Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station, Seoul Metro Line 3. Get off at the stop Jahamun Pass and Yoon Dong-ju Literature Museum and climb the stairs to reach Changuimun Gate Information Center.

SPOTS

Chotdaebawi Rock

Located 400 meters northeast of Sukjeongmun Gate is Chotdaebawi (Candlestick) Rock, a 13-meter-high rock. At the foot of the rock is a rest area with a wooden deck surrounded by the healing scent of pine trees.

Waryong Park

The name “Waryong” means “lying dragon,” and the park’s name was inspired by the long and winding shape of the castle walls. This section of the trail is surrounded by trees, many of which were planted by residents of nearby neighborhoods as part of a massive tree-planting campaign.

Hyehwamun Gate

Four large and four small gates were originally installed when the Hanyang (now Seoul) city walls were first erected. Commonly called Dongsomun, or literally “small east gate,” Hyehwamun was a lesser gate between the east and north gates of the Seoul City Wall. Past the gate is the Naksan section of the Seoul City Wall Trail.

MORE INFO

In Asian folklore, the phoenix is considered the king of the birds. A pair of phoenixes was painted on the ceiling over Hyehwamun Gate to ward off birds that often ruined the grain harvest outside the gate.
Seoul City Wall Trail is a path that follows the old Hanyang (Seoul) city walls that marked the boundaries of the Joseon capital and kept out invaders. In the 5th year of King Taejo's reign (1396), fortresses were built along the ridges of Seoul's "four inner mountains"- Bugaksan, Naksan, Namsan, and Inwangsan- and underwent several renovations.

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