Inwangsan
{{short description|Mountain in Seoul, South Korea}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Inwangsan
| photo = Mount Inwang.jpg
| photo_size = 280
| photo_caption = Southern side of Inwangsan (2023)
| mapframe = yes
| elevation_m = 338
| elevation_ref =
| prominence_m =
| prominence_ref =
| location = South Korea
| range =
| coordinates = {{coord|37|35|06|N|126|57|33|E|display=yes}}
| topo =
| type =
| age =
| last_eruption =
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route = Gyeongbokgung Station
| module = {{Infobox Korean name/auto
|hangul= ^인왕산
|hanja= 仁王山
|child=yes
}}
}}
Inwangsan ({{Korean|hangul=인왕산}}) is a mountain in central Seoul, South Korea. It is in parts of Jongno District and Seodaemun District and has a height of {{Convert|338|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{Citation |last=김 |first=주환 |script-title=ko:인왕산 (仁王山) |work=Encyclopedia of Korean Culture |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0046977 |access-date=2024-07-26 |publisher=Academy of Korean Studies |language=ko |archive-date=2024-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726043139/https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0046977 |url-status=live }} The name literally means "compassionate/benevolent king" in Korean. The mountain covers an area of 1,086,696.50 m2 and has many huge granite peaks which distinguish it from other mountains in Seoul. Each rock is named after its characteristic form, such as Gichabawi ({{Korean|hangul=기차바위|labels=no|lit=train rock}}), Chimabawi ({{Korean|hangul=치마바위|labels=no|lit=skirt rock}}), Iseulbawi ({{Korean|hangul=이슬바위|labels=no|lit=dew rock}}), Mojabawi ({{Korean|hangul=모자바위|labels=no|lit=hat rock}}), and Jiryeongibawi ({{Korean|hangul=지렁이바위|labels=no|lit=worm rock}}).{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}
Inwangsan is famous for its view, so many painters depicted the mountain in their works such as Jeong Seon's Inwang jesaekdo. The Fortress Wall of Seoul surrounds the mountain in which the temple Inwangsa and shrine Guksadang are located as well.{{cite web|url=http://parks.seoul.go.kr/guide/search_detail.asp?Board_cate=Park&SearchField=Park_name&SearchText=&GotoPage=1&Board_id=91 |script-title=ko:인왕산 공원|publisher=The official site of the Seoul Metropolitan Government |accessdate=2008-05-05|language=Korean}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} Access to certain parts of the mountain, including the peak are limited during certain days and times due to the location of a military installation spanning different parts of the mountain.{{Cite book|last=Guides|first=Rough|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=np6WDwAAQBAJ&q=inwangsan+military+installation&pg=PT124|title=The Rough Guide to Seoul (Travel Guide eBook)|date=2018-11-01|publisher=Apa Publications (UK) Limited|isbn=978-1-78919-518-7|language=en}}
History
During the reign of King Sukjong of Goryeo, there was a palace in Namgyeong (Seoul), the capital of the south, and it was recorded as Myeongak. Later in the Joseon period, the mountain was called "Baegaksan", as there was a shrine dedicated to the mountain god. Since then, it has been called Bugaksan because it is located in the north among the mountains surrounding Seoul. The mountain facing the south was called Namsan. The height of the mountain is {{Convert|342|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and it is gently flat to the south, and has a triangular raised shape that looks better than the surrounding mountains. After the collapse of Goryeo and the establishment of Joseon Dynasty, King Taejo Lee Seong-gye established the palace as a royal palace, and it was honored as a royal palace. When the Joseon Dynasty was founded, a shrine to honor the mountain god was created at the Sanjeong Department. South Korea at the Gyeongbok Palace, below the mountain in 1394 (Taejo of four years), fortification and Gyeongmudae (景武臺), which later known as Cheong Wa Dae (靑瓦臺), have been used as presidential office between 1948–2022, and is located below the mountain.{{Cite news |script-title=ko:북악산 |language=ko |url=https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1104421&cid=40942&categoryId=33148 |access-date=2018-05-26}}
In 1939, the Japanese Government-General of Chōsen carved a message into the side of Chimabawi in Chinese characters: {{Lang-zh|c=東亞靑年團結|labels=no}}.{{Cite web |last=이 |first=성우 |date=2021-10-17 |script-title=ko:[이성우의 청와대와 주변의 역사·문화 이야기(23)] 일제가 '동아청년단결' 구호 새긴 인왕산(仁旺山) 바위 |url=http://jmagazine.joins.com/monthly/view/334750 |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=중앙시사매거진 |archive-date=2024-07-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240729121757/http://jmagazine.joins.com/monthly/view/334750 |url-status=live }} The message is dedicated to a Japanese pan-Asianist youth society. After the 1945 liberation of Korea, an attempt was made to scratch out the message, but part of it still remains in the rock.{{Cite news |last=신 |first=병주 |date=2021-10-06 |script-title=ko:7일의 왕비 단경왕후, 인왕산 바위에 그리움을 새기다 |url=https://mediahub.seoul.go.kr/archives/2002866 |access-date=2024-07-28 |work=mediahub.seoul.go.kr |language=ko}}
In June 1950, after the outbreak of the Korean War, South Korean general {{ill|Ahn Byeong-beom|ko|안병범 (1890년)}} suicide in the mountain after he failed to escape from the front line in Seoul. He was later posthumously recognized brigadier general.
Inwangsa
{{Main|Inwangsa}}
Inwangsa is a temple that can be found at the southern foot of Inwangsan mountain. The temple was established in the early Joseon dynasty to guard Gyeongbokgung palace to the east.{{Citation |last=윤 |first=기엽 |script-title=ko:인왕사 (仁旺寺) |work=Encyclopedia of Korean Culture |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0079169 |access-date=2024-07-26 |publisher=Academy of Korean Studies |language=ko |archive-date=2024-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726043141/https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0079169 |url-status=live }} There are 11 shrines from five Buddhist orders leading up to Seonbawi, an unusuaul rock formation that has been used for many shamanist rites and rituals. One of the shrines in Inwangsa is Guksadang, a famous shamanist shrine that is actively used for rituals to this day.
Suseongdong Valley
Located in at the foot of Inwangsan in Ogin-dong, Suseongdong Valley ({{Korean|hangul=수성동계곡|hanja=水聲洞溪谷|labels=no}}) oversees the stream {{ill|Okryudongcheon|ko|옥류동천}} ({{Korean|hangul=옥류동천|hanja=玉流洞川|labels=no}}) flowing towards Cheonggyecheon. The valley got its name from the gushing of the stream.{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Jeong-heum |date=2023-07-21 |script-title=ko:조선의 선비들이 극찬한 그곳, 서울 수성동계곡 |url=https://www.aptn.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=103831 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=아파트관리신문 |language=ko}}{{Cite web |last=Gu |first=Wan-hoe |date=2023-08-29 |script-title=ko:'겸재 그림에 들어온 듯' 수성동계곡서 즐기는 막바지 피서 |url=https://www.bizhankook.com/bk/article/26180 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=비즈한국 |language=ko}}{{Cite web |last=van Genugten |first=Bart |date=2024-08-22 |title=Enjoy summer in Seoul at Suseongdong Valley and explore Seok |url=https://english.visitseoul.net/editorspicks/Oasis-of--Suseongdong-Valley/ENN4gldeh |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241015005301/https://english.visitseoul.net/editorspicks/Oasis-of--Suseongdong-Valley/ENN4gldeh |archive-date=2024-10-15 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=english.visitseoul.net |language=en-US}} It is famed for its natural beauty since the Joseon era, with royalty and commoners, poets and painters alike visiting the area for recreation. For example, Jeong Seon, the famed painter known for his realistic scenery, visited Suseongdong and created a painting with the same name, which would be included in his collection 'Eight Scenic Views of Jangdong' ({{Korean|hangul=장동팔경첩|hanja=壯洞八景帖|labels=no}}); {{ill|Prince Anpyeong|ko|안평대군}}, the third son of King Sejong, had his house built here, named it Bihaedang (비해당; 匪懈堂Bihae, Prince Anpyeong's pen name, stems from the line '夙夜匪解，以事一人' in the Classic of Poetry, Major Court Hymns (詩經·大雅); the name of which is given by King Sejong to remind the prince to 'serve only the King without laziness'.), and wrote 48 poems about its surroundings.{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Seong-woo |date=2021-09-24 |script-title=ko:[이성우의 청와대와 주변의 역사·문화 이야기(22)] 우레 같은 물소리로 유명한 인왕산 계곡 수성동(水聲洞) |url=http://www.m-joongang.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=334626 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Monthly JoongAng |language=ko}}{{Cite web |title=Suseongdonggyegok Valley (수성동계곡) |url=https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?vcontsId=175354 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=VisitKorea.or.kr |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Suseong-dong Valley |url=https://english.visitseoul.net/nature/Suseongdong-Valley/ENP037952 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241204161930/https://english.visitseoul.net/nature/Suseongdong-Valley/ENP037952 |archive-date=2024-12-04 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=english.visitseoul.net |language=en-US}} The valley is also central to {{ill|Wihang literature|ko|위항_문학}} ({{Korean|hangul=위항문학|hanja=委巷文學|labels=no}}), a literary movement that saw Korean literature expanding towards the middle class.{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Ji-hoon |date=2010-09-15 |script-title=ko:겸재 산수화 속 수성동계곡 市기념물로 |url=https://go.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20100915012027 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=go.seoul.co.kr}}{{Cite web |script-title=ko:수성동계곡, 그림처럼 복원되다 |url=https://mediahub.seoul.go.kr/archives/180945 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230313034139/https://mediahub.seoul.go.kr/archives/180945 |archive-date=2023-03-13 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=mediahub.seoul.go.kr |language=ko}}{{Cite web |script-title=ko:위항문학 |trans-title=Wihang Literature |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0041206 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Encyclopedia of Korean Culture}} After the Korean War, rapid urbanization led to the encroachment of apartments around the valley. Between 2008 and 2012, the Seoul Metropolitan Government demolished these apartments and restored the valley to its natural state. It is now developed as a natural tourist attraction.
Gallery
{{Gallery
|Image:Korea-Seoul-Inwangsan-29.jpg
|Fortress wall of Seoul on the mountain
|Image:Korea-Seoul-Inwangsan-30.jpg
|Steps and fort wall
|Image:Korea-Seoul-Inwangsan-28.jpg
|Fort wall overlooking Seoul
|Image:Korea-Seoul-Inwangsan-31.jpg
|Near the peak
|Image:Korea-Seoul-Inwangsan-32.jpg
|On the top
|Image:Korea-Seoul-Inwangsan-33.jpg
|Fort wall reconstruction
|Image:Korea-Seoul-Inwangsan-Soldiers-01.jpg
|Remaining vigilant
|Image:Korea-Seoul-Inwangsan-01.jpg
|Trail of Inwangsan
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Inwangsan}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721181612/http://www.visitseoul.net/en/article/article.do?_method=view&art_id=10501&lang=en&m=0004003002014&p=03 Inwangsan : Official Seoul City Tourism(English)]
- {{in lang|ko}} [http://www.koreasanha.net/san/inwang.htm Introduction of Inwangsan]
- {{in lang|ko}} [http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/culture/travel/177495.html Travel to Inwangsan]
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