| 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.
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.
The geographical center of Seoul (in its contemporary boundaries,
all 25 districts) has been found to be near the middle of the northern
slope on Mt. Nam-san, in Jung-gu District's Yejang-dong (just
below the Tower). This was announced by the Seoul City Govern-
ment on Monday January 13th, 2009. It said the GPS coordinates
are 37˚33′06″ N and 126˚59′30″ E, and that it will consider setting
up a symbolic sculpture and building an access road there.
all 25 districts) has been found to be near the middle of the northern
slope on Mt. Nam-san, in Jung-gu District's Yejang-dong (just
below the Tower). This was announced by the Seoul City Govern-
ment on Monday January 13th, 2009. It said the GPS coordinates
are 37˚33′06″ N and 126˚59′30″ E, and that it will consider setting
up a symbolic sculpture and building an access road there.