Haengju Fortress Park (행주산성) was recently written about in Seoul Selection’s June issue, and looked interesting enough to check out for myself. The original article (linked above to a flash e-book version) focuses on the history of the site, and is highly worth checking out if you’re interested in Korean history.

Pay 1,000 won (about $0.80 USD), then pass through 대섭문 (the front gate) and find yourself staring at the statue of General Gwon Yul. In 1593, he led an army of 2,300 against over 30,000 Japanese soldiers, armed with sickles, hoes, monks, and women wearing skirts. Over 10,000 Japanese were killed or severely injured, and the victory made him Chief of Generals. A monument was first erected in 1602, but was burned down during the Korean War in 1950. A new monument was built in 1963 at the peak of the mountain fortress; more renovations were completed from 1969-70 and additions completed in 1979, 1986, and 1992, when the mud wall was restored.

General Gwon Yul himself; behind him are several bronzed scenes showing the fighting spirit of monks, women in dresses or aprons, and so on.

A close up of one of the action scenes behind the general.

A slightly more modern (and helpful) map of where to go and how to get there. The red dot at the bottom indicates ‘you are here’ helpfully.

The beginning of the path up the hill – note the chongtonggi, or a weapon used against the Japanese forces. Also called a hwacha and translated into ‘fire chariot’, picture this thing shooting off up to 200 small arrows at a time into an incoming army.

A resting place and photo gallery on the way up the hill.

A tribute of some sort – without any sign in Korean or English, it’s hard to say more than that.

The left fork that is the ‘mud wall’. You’re actually walking on the mud wall at its highest here; it’s hard to see in the picture, but the trees and plants to the left hide a steep dropoff that would make climbing to this level pretty tough.

The way to the top involves stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. A look back down to remind how many calories you’ve hopefully burned off.

At the top after perhaps a half-hour of climbing. A pavilion named 충의정 (Chunguijeong) greets you, offering a movie in Korean about the various battles that have been fought here.

A look out at the bustling city of Goyang (yes, getting here technically means leaving the confines of Seoul).

In the foreground, Tangible Cultural Property of Gyeonggi-do #74 – a monument telling of the victorious battle here. The stone tablet inside is too worn out to be legible, however. In the background, a pavilion to rest in – and look up:

The look up inside the resting pavilion.

The main monument to the Korean victory, complete with some flags (possibly of the military units – nothing is mentioned in the brochure about these flags)

The wind was whipping the flags around in quite a frenzy.

A Memorial Hall of the Great Victory – a chance to see paintings of or objects from the battle.

At top, a 신기전 (singijeon), or rocket; on bottom, a 화전 (hwajeon), or fire arrow.

The 신기전기 (singijeongi), or rocket launcher. Imagine firing one round of these babies at your approaching enemy. It’s similar to the hwacha of Mythbusters fame from not too long ago. Why do they have two different names? I couldn’t tell you – my only guess would be that one is a larger version of the other.

A closer look at the general himself – complete with some period clothing.

A painting documenting the turning away of Japanese troops.

Time to start heading downhill after the small museum and various monuments.

The entrance to a shrine dedicated to – you guessed it – General Gwon Yul.

Through the gate you can see the shrine building – complete with incense and incense burner. The shrine was built in 1970 as part of the renovation and upgrades to the area – quite nice.

One of the monuments telling the world of the General’s distinguished services, originally placed here in 1845.

충훈정 (Chunghunjeong) – a pavilion near the entrance that unfortunately wasn’t explained by any signs…

Haengu Fortress Park is worth a full afternoon of exploring the sights. Wear your hiking shoes and bring a drink with you, since the area isn’t exactly a tourist trap. The historical implications are fairly easy to overlook amidst the area’s beauty, but adequate English explanations exist to help you understand things – even if it is the same story over and over again.

Directions to Haengju Fortress Park: Take line 2 of the Seoul subway system to the Hapjeong station. Take exit 2 to the street level, then look for the first bus stop and wait for bus 921. Get on the bus and don’t freak out when you leave Seoul behind. Get off at the 4th stop (Haengju Naedong), then walk through the tunnel. Keep walking straight until the road comes to a T, then go left. Take the first right, then walk through the village and past the restaurants until you see the parking lot and the front gate on your left. Admission is 1,000 won; open from 9am-5pm from November to February and 9am-6pm from March to October. Handicapped and stroller accessible in some areas, but bear in mind it’s an uphill path most of the way.