One of the most underrated excursions from Seoul is a transit-accessible, family-friendly hike at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Namhansanseong (남한산성), a Joseon Dynasty mountaintop fortress that effectively served as Korea's wartime capital with its Great Wall-like winding ramparts. And combined with a pre- or post-hike seafood feast at Korea's largest wholesale wet market situated along the same Seoul Metro line, it all makes for a perfect day-trip.
If you're the kind of traveler who watch televised baseball in Japan or enjoy the daily passegiata when in Italy, you're probably going to pick up the national pastime of hiking here in Korea. While Seoulites and tourists alike cram onto Bukhansan's congested trails for its famous panorama of Seoul, relatively few know about Namhansanseong and its superior vista from the opposite angle across the Han River. You'll get a lot more elbow room from fellow hikers, plus this view of Korea's tallest skyscraper awaiting at the top.
And for travelers interested in Korean culture and history, this is one of two South Korean castles elevated to World Heritage status for their evocative, well-preserved fortifications from the Joseon Dynasty. While many foreigners would have at least heard of the magnificent walled town of Suwon Hwaseong, overlooked Namhansanseong is arguably more interesting as a battle-tested stronghold at a key point in Korean history.
That was in the early 1600s as Joseon Korea was barely recovering from Hideyoshi's devastating invasion, when a new Manchurian menace arose to the north. Namhansanseong was born in this era of unprecedented international conflicts when Seoul (Hanyang) was under constant threat and a more defendable emergency capital was necessitated.
400m above sea level atop this steep gneiss plateau, King Injo ordered the construction of a provisional royal residence within a day's travel from Changdeokgung Palace, a foresight proven to be prudent a decade later when the Manchurians breached the capital's gates and forced the king to make his final stand here at what nearly became the Masada of Korea.
Today's hikers would start their walk in front of the old palace gate, albeit a 21st century reconstruction after demolition of the original during Japanse occupation. For centuries the palace doubled as county seat for the surrounding region of Gwangju, served by thousands of commoners who lived within this thriving walled town.
A small collection of hanoks and cafes now flank the roundabout that marks the historic crossroad at the centre of the old citadel, with one street leading from the North Gate to the South Gate and another stretching from East to West.
The path we took largely followed the red line (Course 1) on the official map in Korean, hiking uphill from the rotary towards the pictured North Gate then tracing the outer walls towards the West Gate in an anticlockwise direction, finally reaching the South Gate before cutting back to the rotary. While the official map suggests a completion time of 80 minutes for the 3.8 km route, it easily took us over two hours with panoramic views and fascinating heritage buildings along the route.
Featuring double layers of ramparts and embankment for the gunpowder age, the North Gate entertained some of the fiercest battles between the Manchurians and the Korean defenders, outnumbered five times and admirably fending off attacks with clever engineering that their 21st century descendants are also known for.
Sinuous brick walls meandered along the mountain ridge, similar in design to its internationally-famous cousin in Ming Dynasty China and motivated by the same objective of warding barbarian tribes off the civilized south. These impregable walls were never breached in battle, though King Injo did surrender to the Manchurians after the rest of the capital region was overrun and his family captured.
Towards the West Gate the trail passes a number of camouflaged entrances, once guarded by peasant militia known as uibyeong consisting largely of warrior monks from the citadel's system of Buddhist temples, strategically placed near key fortification points along the perimeter and containing their own arsenal and gunpowder stores.
The system of monk armies lasted nearly 300 years before being disbanded upon Japanese colonization in late 19th century, soon followed by the demolition of all Buddhist temples and palaces within the citadel. Some sections of the wall crumbled in disrepair through the centuries, now carefully restored as the fortress regained its national prominence as one of Korea's most important heritage treasures.
Even on a light smog day the hiker can gain a panorama of Seoul beyond the mighty battlement of the West Gate, overlooking Songpa-gu with Gangnam to the immediate left and the Lotte World Tower dwarfing everything else.
Despite serving as filming location for numerous K-dramas and even inspiring a movie of the same name, Namhansanseong remains only moderately popular among Korean hikers and is nearly unknown to foreigners outside of the expat circle. On this day we saw just two non-Korean speakers, a far cry from the numerous foreigners we encountered at Seoraksan just a few days back.
A ramyeon stand is never too far away! If Shin Ramyeon can be found at Klein Matterhorn's peak gondola station in Switzerland, you can certainly expect Namhansanseong to do better with some timely eomuk for protein and yujacha to warm you up on a winter's day.
After the West Gate a small side trail leads up to the only command post surviving from the Manchurian invasion, a two-storey observation tower providing a 360-degree panorama of the Han River plains in front and the interior of the fortress to the back. It's also a convenient spot for a washroom break for hikers.
While the exterior plaque reads Sueojangdae or Defending Commander's Post, a unique plaque inside declares the epithet of Unforgotten Tower to remind future kings and officers of the humiliation suffered by King Injo who was made to kowtow to the Manchurian emperor. Less than a decade later the Manchurians would completely overtake Ming Dynasty as China's new ruler, and legitimate receiver of Joseon Korea's tribute in the new world order.
Next to the command post is the small shrine of Cheongryangdang, dedicated to a commander wrongly accused of embezzling funds earmarked for the citadel's construction and beheaded. Through decades of ruthless Japanese colonialism and urbanization when nearly every wooden structure within Namhansanseong was dismantled, geographic isolation was the only reason that these two historic jewels were spared.
With slopes gentle enough for kids, several toilets along the route and a ramyeon stand for a recharge, this 3.8 km loop is just the perfect family-friendly hike especially come autumn foliage time. Seasoned hikers may opt for a longer loop encompassing the entire perimeter of the castle for a 7.7 km route with more variations in terrain.
Don't you wish your own country's hiking trails featured free vacuum cleaners for your dirty boots before getting back into the car? Only in a nation whose love of hiking is matched by its love of technology.
One small inconvenience was the infrequent schedule for Bus 9/9-1 back to Sanseong Station on weekdays, easily fixable through a coffee break near the rotary. By 17:30 we're back on the metro to Jamsil for a department store basement dinner.
Did I mention that admission for the Namhansanseong hike is completely FREE?
IF YOU GO
Namhansanseong is reachable by Bus 9 or 9-1, the bus stop located next to Exit 1 of Sanseong Station. Don't confuse this with Namhansanseong Station which is actually further away.
And if you've read somewhere that Namhansanseong is closed on Mondays ... trust me, it's not. We visited on a Monday and the only thing closed was the reconstructed palace, the rest of the fortress remaining open 24/7 as a provincial park.
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