Attractions near Seoul's three historic mountains

Gilsang Temple is a Buddhist temple built in 1995 near Mount Bugak. It was donated from a wealthy Korean woman to a monk. The book recounts the love story behind her donation. Courtesy of Seoul Historiography Institute

By Kim Se-jeong

Starting from Mount Dobong and Surak in the north, Seoul has many mountains. Mount Gwanak and Cheonggye are part of the city's southern border and the city stretches all the way to Mount Ilja and Gaewha in the east and west, respectively.

However, when Seoul (then known as Hanseong) became the Joseon Kingdom's capital in 1394, the city was much smaller and delineated by four important mountains: Mount Bugak to the north, Mount Nam to the South, Nak to the east and Mount Inwang to the west. People in the Joseon Kingdom believed the mountains protected the royal family and the city from outside invaders and diseases.

The Seoul Historiography Institute recently published a book explaining historic destinations on and near three of the four mountains (excluding Mount Nam). The book was written by a group of enthusiasts who explored all the destinations on foot.

"Some places are quite famous, but others are relatively unknown to the public. We hope the book will take readers to places that are historically meaningful," wrote Lee Sang-bae, the director of the institute.

The Korea Times selected some destinations from the book that are relatively unknown yet historically significant.

Dilkusha

Korea Times file

Located near Mount Inwang, Dilkusha was built in 1924 by Mary and Albert Taylor who were living in Korea. Albert was working for a mining company but also worked as a correspondent for the UPI, an American news outlet. The coupled lived there until 1942 when they were forced to leave the country by the Japanese. The residence was abandoned, occupied by the homeless, until their son Bruce contacted the Korean government with an inquiry about his parents' former residence. In 2006, the he visited the building and donated documents related to his parent's period of living in Korea.

Park No-soo gallery

Located near Mount Inwang, Park No-soo (1927-2013) is regarded as the first-generation modern Korean painter and the gallery building is where he used to live; he donated the building to the local government. Actress Lee Min-jeong is the granddaughter of the artist. The building was originally built in 1937 by a pro-Japanese businessman, Yoon Deok-young, for his daughter.

Segeomjeong Pavilion

Courtesy of Seoul Historiography Institute

Segeomjeong Pavilion was renowned for its fascinating landscape in the neighborhood near Mount Inwang. According to the book, it was a place where anti-royalist forces came to rest ― that's where the name originated ― under Injo who reigned between 1623 and 1649.
It was also where the Joseon kings' officers responsible for recording royal affairs came to "wash off" reference documents and initial drafts. This served two purposes. One was to protect the king by destroying unofficial documents and the other was to recycle paper. Paper was in short supply during that time, and officers often recycled them. According to the book, the officers washed off the writings and draped them on rocks nearby to dry and be reused.

Samcheonggak

Located near Mount Bugak, Samcheonggak was a night entertainment site for wealthy male patrons, opened in 1972. It was where politicians and businessmen came to meet and do after-hours business while "enjoying" female company. In 1972, the Korean government hosted a banquet for North Korean officials who came to Seoul for a summit there.
In 1983, Samcheonggak was under investigation for tax evasion and the business went downhill from then. In the 1990s, it changed its name and opened itself to ordinary customers, but went bankrupt again in November 1999.
In 2000, the Seoul Metropolitan Government gave the outlet the title of cultural heritage site and in 2001, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts became the new owner.

Gilsang Temple

Gilsang Temple is a Buddhist temple built in 1995 near Mount Bugak. It was a gift from a former "Gisaeng," a Korean word for a female companion and entertainer of male customers, to Buddhist monk, Venerable Beopjeong. Gisaeng Kim Young-han (1916-1999) accumulated wealth by running what amounted to an old-fashioned room salon and built the temple on the site of her former business.
The book accounts a love story behind Kim's donation.
Kim was a lover of the famous poet and novelist Baekseok (1912-1996). They met at a room salon in Hamheung, now in North Korea. They fell in love and began living together. Not endorsing the son's lover, Baekseok's parents forced him to marry another woman. The poet ran off to his lover on the wedding day and asked her to run away with him to Manchuria, now part of China. She refused so the poet left on his own. Soon thereafter the Korean War separated them forever.
One of his famous poems expressed his longing for her. Moving to Seoul, Kim became a successful businesswoman. "Asked about her motivation for the donation, Kim answered, "A big donation isn't anything worthy compared to my lover's poem read to me."

Seonjam altar site

Courtesy of Seoul Historiography Institute

Seonjam means silkworm farming and the ritual held in hope of abundant silk production was performed at the altar near Mount Bugak every year. The rite also existed during the Goryeo Kingdom and was carried on through the Joseon Kingdom. The current site doesn't have the altar because it was moved to another location in 1908 when the ritual stopped. In 2017, the Seokbuk District Office spearheaded an effort to build a Seonjam museum, which opened in 2018. The book says Joseon's royal palace had a storage place especially for silk fabrics.

Chilgung

Chilgung is a shrine for seven mothers' of Joseon kings near Mount Bugak. For the most part, deceased kings and queens of the kingdom were enshrined at Jongmyo Shrine. But when the king's mother was a concubine, the mother's shrine couldn't be with other kings and queens. Youngjo reigned between 1694 and in 1724 built a shrine in commemoration of his mother, a concubine of his father Sukjong. Other mothers' shrines were added over the centuries. In 1929, the seventh shrine was added to the site representing the mother of Prince Imperial Yeong, the last crown prince of the Korea.

Hyehwamun

Located near Mount Nak, Hyehwamun was not one of the four main gates for Joseon's capital, but it was an important one nonetheless. As the city's official north gate, Sukjeongmun, remained closed, Hyehwamun received visitors from the city's north to northeast areas.
Among the frequent visitors were representatives from the Jurchen tribes, who the Joseon Kingdom treated with caution. Considered less civilized, unruly and violent, the Jurchen tribes were hard for the kingdom to deal with which took ample diplomatic efforts on the part of Joseon's leaders.

Chongmudang

Chongmudang was a national defense organization born to better protect Joseon under the growing influence of Japan and other western powers in the 19th century. Shinhun, a military officer, was in charge of the place, and its importance grew bigger with the French expedition to Korea in 1866. The building was originally built in Gwangwhamun, but was later demolished and a new one built near Mount Nak.

Cheongryong Temple

Courtesy of Seoul Historiography Institute

Cheongryong Temple, located on Mount Nak, is believed to be one of few Buddhist temples for female monks and is famous for receiving Queen Jeongsun, according to the book.
Queen Jeongsun was the wife of Danjong who reigned from 1452 to 1455. The king was forced to abdicate by his uncle, Sejo, and went into exile in Yeongwol, North Gyeongsang Province.
"The queen was forced to leave the palace and was said to have become a nun at Cheongryong Temple, according to tales," the book relates.
Cheongryong Temple isn't the only temple that housed female monks during the Joseon Kingdom. Bomun Temple and Mita Temple which are nearby also housed women who became nuns.
According to the book, the Joseon Kingdom's suppression of Buddhism couldn't be very successful as many women, even among royal families, secretively practiced Buddhism and sought congress with monks.

Youngdo Bridge

Courtesy of Seoul Historiography Institute

King Danjong and Queen Jeongsun had their final good-bye at Youngdo Bridge near Mount Nak when King Danjong set out to his exile destination. The name of the bridge means permanent separation. The original bridge was made of wood and the current bridge is a reconstruction of it carried out in 2005 under the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

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