| Seoul's Nam-san 남산 the Inner-Southern Guardian Mountain originally named Myeonmok-san Part of the Bukhan-san Sub-range |
| Still Under Construction San-shin Site Contents Page |
Date: February 13, 2007 The government is finally ready to
begin the serious work behind the plan to restore the forest
located in central Seoul. The Northern Regional Forest
Service revealed last weekend that it will make a full-fledged
effort to restore the forest on Seoul's once-southern,
now-central mountain Namsan starting from this year. The city
aims to make Namsan's forest an eco-friendly spot and natural
ecological museum. The agency announced that it has
already launched a joint research group with the Seoul
National Forest Station. The 21-member Namsan
Rehabilitation Project will research the original state of
Namsan's forest and compare those findings to its present
condition. The Korea Forest Research Institute, Korea National
Arboretum and Seoul Metropolitan City will assist them in their
work.. This year, the team will gather data on and analyze the
overall flora and fauna of the area to create a database for
systemic management. The project reserved for next year will
include collection of public opinions from citizens and
environmental groups on what to plant and other details for
proper restoration of the forest. Namsan was proclaimed a
national park in March 1940 but was officially put under
municipal care in September 1984. Of its total 296 hectares of
land, 186 are still designated as a national forest. "In the long
term we have to remove asphalt and concrete road along with
other artificial facilities that surround Namsan Park and form a
natural surroundings with pine trees and others to help the
place come back to its original form," a forest service official
said. Namsan, literally "South Mountain," is 262 meters high
with over 60 species of trees, plants and animals. It has long
been a place for early morning joggers, hiking and other
recreational activities for Seoulites. The N-Tower on the top of
the mountain provides an excellent birds-eye-view of the
capital city's expanse.
begin the serious work behind the plan to restore the forest
located in central Seoul. The Northern Regional Forest
Service revealed last weekend that it will make a full-fledged
effort to restore the forest on Seoul's once-southern,
now-central mountain Namsan starting from this year. The city
aims to make Namsan's forest an eco-friendly spot and natural
ecological museum. The agency announced that it has
already launched a joint research group with the Seoul
National Forest Station. The 21-member Namsan
Rehabilitation Project will research the original state of
Namsan's forest and compare those findings to its present
condition. The Korea Forest Research Institute, Korea National
Arboretum and Seoul Metropolitan City will assist them in their
work.. This year, the team will gather data on and analyze the
overall flora and fauna of the area to create a database for
systemic management. The project reserved for next year will
include collection of public opinions from citizens and
environmental groups on what to plant and other details for
proper restoration of the forest. Namsan was proclaimed a
national park in March 1940 but was officially put under
municipal care in September 1984. Of its total 296 hectares of
land, 186 are still designated as a national forest. "In the long
term we have to remove asphalt and concrete road along with
other artificial facilities that surround Namsan Park and form a
natural surroundings with pine trees and others to help the
place come back to its original form," a forest service official
said. Namsan, literally "South Mountain," is 262 meters high
with over 60 species of trees, plants and animals. It has long
been a place for early morning joggers, hiking and other
recreational activities for Seoulites. The N-Tower on the top of
the mountain provides an excellent birds-eye-view of the
capital city's expanse.
Oriental Arch Gyeongbok:
At Taejo's behest, master geomancers (practitioners of pungsu) fanned out across the land, searching for the ideal
spot to build a fitting capital city. One such site was discovered near modern-day Daejeon at the foot of Mt.
Gye-ryeong. With Taejo's blessing, work began quickly on the site and soon foundation stones were readied in the
ground. However, work abruptly ceased when Taejo became convinced that Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) would
make a better site. Taejo was persuaded by the prophecies of Doseon, a 10th-century priest and master geomancer
who aided the founder of the previous dynasty in the selection of a capital. Doseon had correctly prophesied the
founding of Goryeo, and had made a prediction that the next dynasty would base itself at Hanyang and rule for 500 years.
Taejo decided to heed the ancient priest and moved the capital to Hanyang, fulfilling the prophecy. What he could not
have known was that his dynasty did indeed last about 500 years as Doseon predicted, surviving until 1910 when
Korea was annexed by the Japanese Empire.
Taejo's geomancers found at Hanyang the potential for an ideal capital. Using pungsu, they selected four sites for
royal residences where the topography of the land heralded good fortune for the dynasty. The most auspicious of all
sites was the northernmost one, and it was there that they decided to build the main royal palace and major
government buildings of the young Joseon dynasty.
At Taejo's behest, master geomancers (practitioners of pungsu) fanned out across the land, searching for the ideal
spot to build a fitting capital city. One such site was discovered near modern-day Daejeon at the foot of Mt.
Gye-ryeong. With Taejo's blessing, work began quickly on the site and soon foundation stones were readied in the
ground. However, work abruptly ceased when Taejo became convinced that Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) would
make a better site. Taejo was persuaded by the prophecies of Doseon, a 10th-century priest and master geomancer
who aided the founder of the previous dynasty in the selection of a capital. Doseon had correctly prophesied the
founding of Goryeo, and had made a prediction that the next dynasty would base itself at Hanyang and rule for 500 years.
Taejo decided to heed the ancient priest and moved the capital to Hanyang, fulfilling the prophecy. What he could not
have known was that his dynasty did indeed last about 500 years as Doseon predicted, surviving until 1910 when
Korea was annexed by the Japanese Empire.
Taejo's geomancers found at Hanyang the potential for an ideal capital. Using pungsu, they selected four sites for
royal residences where the topography of the land heralded good fortune for the dynasty. The most auspicious of all
sites was the northernmost one, and it was there that they decided to build the main royal palace and major
government buildings of the young Joseon dynasty.