Seoul invites visitors to monthlong autumn festival on Mount Nam
N Seoul Tower rises above colorful autumn foliage along the Namsan Park trail in central Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Seoul will hold a monthlong autumn festival along the Namsan Trail in November, with guided walks, family crafts, a photo exhibition and a traditional archery contest, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday.
Mount Nam is a small mountain in central Seoul, topped by N Seoul Tower and known for its fall foliage. The Namsan Trail is a walking path that loops around it.
The festival runs Nov. 1-30, with most programs on Nov. 7-8. Visitors can join nature and history tours that start at Palgakjeong Pavilion and follow the Namsan Sky Forest Trail. There are also autumn tours of the Korean Forest Garden, a new garden on the mountain’s slopes.
Family programs include bird-watching, a seed-hunting walk and wildflower basket making. Adults can take knitting, weaving and wreath-making classes. Children can try traditional Korean games at Hohyeondang, a hall used for etiquette education. Visitors can also learn to shoot Korean bows at Seokhojeong, a traditional archery range on Mount Nam. Park photographers will take portraits of visitors.
On Nov. 14, Seokhojeong will host a traditional archery competition, held every year since 2022. Archers will shoot at targets 145 meters away against a backdrop of dense pine forest. Anyone interested can enter. There are individual divisions for seniors aged 65 and over, men, women and ranked archers, and registration runs Nov. 2-8.
Throughout November, an outdoor exhibition of photos by the city’s park photographers will line walking paths along the mountain’s North Ringway and in the Korean Forest Garden. The theme is “gardens and walks.”
Applications for tours and classes open at 2 p.m. on Oct. 26 on the city’s public service reservation website, yeyak.seoul.go.kr. Program details are available at parks.seoul.go.kr.
“This event offers a comfortable way to enjoy autumn walks, interactive programs and exhibitions on Mount Nam,” said Shin Hyun-ho, head of the Seoul Central Park and Leisure Center. “We invite residents to experience nature and culture on the mountain, embrace the spirit of fall and make lasting memories.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.