Global-Mariner

                                             KOREA

                                              - featuring Namhansansong -

                                                                                      (Provinsial Park)

                                            - the Southern Mountain Fortress -

2021-11-04:   Page initiated and finished - 2021-11-04

The Namhansansong Provincial Park has most likely not been designated a nature park due to its scenic beauty, but more likely due to the magnificent historical mountain fortress Namhansansong.

That does not mean that the scenery is bad, but it simply cannot compete with those breathtaking views that can be found in other Korean National- and Provincial Parks.

However,- what Mother Nature did not accomplish, was certainly compensated for by the activities of the Korean fortress and wall builders - - -

This impressing mountain fortress was built with the main purpose of protecting Korea from the Manchus, but when the attack finally came, not even these massive walls could not stop the advancing Manchu army!

In 1637 the fortress fell to the Manchu army, and Korea was forced to accept the Chinese Emperor as supreme ruler.

All this is history now, - but the walls and gates of this massive fortress still stand to this day. The total length of the wall is about 8 kilometres, which should make it possible to walk around the entire length of the wall in one go, - but just like all other things in life, it is much better to do it more slowly, so that you do not overdraw your time-account too much and thereby becoming restless and loosing the "feeling" of the real world around you - -

Therefore I visited the fortress several times at different seasons, and the following pictures are a mixture from two of those visits.

As you can tell, the Namhansansong wall could remind of the real thing,- the Great Wall of China -, as it twists and turns along the mountain slopes, valleys and peaks.

The western part of the wall is beautifully restored, and this is where you find the tourist groups, who can easily walk the restored section during a day trip, leaving time for a lunch at the tourist service area, before the bus returns to Seoul.

However,- the eastern part is still not restored and lies partly in ruins. This part is for me more interesting, - somehow ruins seems to "talk" to me -, and the best thing is that no tourists explore this "wild" section, which means that you have it all to yourself, - and it is fantastic!

I have decided to split this page in two parts,- the first part the restored section of the wall, - and the second covering the "wild" section still in ruins!

More pics from a third trip might be added later - - -

Following is a series of pictures taken along the more exiting - and partly unrestored and collapsed part of the wall between Bak Mun and further on towards Tong Mun - the East Gate - and Nam Mun - the South Gate - - - -

The good thing is, that the tourist groups stay away from this part of the wall, - you have it all to yourself -, and there are days and days of exiting exploring to do between the ruins scattered over the mountain slopes - - -

At this point I should have continued with my explorations of:

1)  Kumjongsansong -

2)  The fortifications of Seoul -

3)  Sandangsansong -

However, - these adventures are removed from my old website - most likely because I ran out of memory space - and therefore I cannot just update and transfer them to this new - and improved - website - - -

Therefore those mountain fortresses have to wait until I find time to dig out, - scan, - and edit the original slides - - -