Mt. Surisan (수리산)

While there are quite a few mountains that are in and around the city of Seoul itself, it is nice to try a change of scenery and see a different part of Korea. To the south of Seoul in the suburb cities of Anyang (안양) and Gunpo (군포) is the mountain range of Mt. Surisan (수리산) which is quite accessible by the public transportation system that connects to Seoul.

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

Content

• Meeting Location
• Getting to Mt. Surisan
• Hiking in Mt. Surisan

Meeting Location

Since there are many paths all throughout the Mt. Surisan area, there are also quite a few choices of where to meet. One option would be Beomgye Station (범계역). Though this station is not right next the mountain range, it does provide some benefits as a meeting place. First of all, since Beomgye Station is on Line #4 (the light blue line), it is easy to get to from downtown or the southern part of Seoul. Also, at Exit #2 there is a nice commercial district that has plenty of places to eat lunch or pick of some food and beverages before your hike.


View Mt. Surisan (수리산) in a larger map
Next to Exit #3, there is the Beomgye Station Bus Stop. From there you can catch two different buses from Beomgye Station to one of the many trail heads to Mt. Surisan. For where we went, you can take either Bus 10-1 or Bus 6.


Getting to Mt. Surisan

After leaving Beomgye Station on either Bus 10-1 or Bus 6, you will eventually start to up the foot hills to Mt. Surisan in the west. Both of these buses will stop at the Seongkyeol Univ. Bus Stop (성결대학).


View Mt. Surisan (수리산) in a larger map
From this bus stop, head to the previous intersection that you passed before getting off the bus and turn right further up the hill to entrance of the university. At the main gate, take a right and then your first left. As you go up this road, you will see the Seongkyeol Graduate School (성결대학원) on your right.

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

To the right of this building, there will be a sign that reads 등산로 입구 (Entrance to the Hiking Trail). Take this path and you will walk up some stairs behind the school. At the top of the stairs the path will lead to a set of pavilions next a natural spring. From here, you have a few choices of paths to take to go hiking.

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

Hiking in Mt. Surisan

When hiking in this area, it can get a bit confusing since there are so many inter winding trails in the area. Some of them will lead up the mountains, some back down into the city and others around the mountain. The main peak in the area goes by the name of Kwanmobong (관모봉). When you are going up the mountain, you can just keep an eye out for the signs pointing to the peak as seen below.

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

For those of you who are savvy with a map, you can use sites like Daum Maps to find hiking paths all over the Korean peninsula. To help simply your search, here is a map of Kwanmobong to help you find the hiking paths in the area. A bit to the north east is Seongkyeol University, the place where we started our hike.

If you do get a bit lost coming down the mountain later, the cities of Anyang and Gunpo are quite visible to your east, while to the west the mountain range just extends for a long distance. In a worse case scenario, head east into the cities. Once you get back down, you will eventually reach a subway line; either Line #4 (the Light Blue Line) or Line #1 (the Dark Blue Line). If you do need some help getting to a subway station, you can always ask one of the locals, "가까운 지하철역이 어디에요?" (Where is a nearby subway station?)

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

You will find some paths in this area will be a bit more direct to the stop but steep while other paths will loop around to a more gradual incline. For the more adventurous, you can enjoy one of the many paths that circumnavigate the mountain. As you come to intersections, you will find more markers that will point to the Kwanmobong Peak.

One of my favorite features of this mountain range is the ragged stone outcrops that break through the tree line and allow you to look over the forest into the surrounding area. The places also provide a nice place to take break and have a snack.

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

You will know when you reached the top when you see a small clearing with benches and a flag pole with the Korean Flag (태극기). This a great spot to take a heroic or patriotic picture.

From Mt. Surisan (수리산)

This is a good place to take a look at the cities of Anyang to the northeast and Gunpo to the southeast. If the weather is nice or very hot, there is a good chance that you will see a man selling ice cream at the top. It is amazing what someone can do with some Styrofoam boards, plenty of tape, dry ice and a strong back. The usual price is about 1,500 Won. If someone is selling ice cream at the top, you will hear a rhythmic chant of "Ice-Kke-Ki" (아이스께끼). A fun cultural note, Ice-Kke-Ki is what a little Korean boy will scream out before he tries to lift up a woman's skirt.

From here, you can take one of a number of paths that will lead you back down the mountain into adjacent cities. Also, if you have a good supply of food and water and are feeling adventurous, you can continue along the miles and miles of paths that follow the spine of the mountain. If you are really daring, you could even cross the mountain pass and make it to the coastal town of Ansan (안산).


Even though Mt. Surisan may be a little out of the ways from downtown Seoul, it offers a nice change of scenery from mountains that most Seoulites go hiking in. Also, since there are a plethora of paths crisscrossing the mountains, it will take a long time before you have completely explored this area.

Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

To the east of Seoul is a man-made lake named Lake Homyeong that sits at the top of the mountains. The lake itself is circled by a peaceful walking path and is adjacent to various parks, statues and a small museum. Additionally, there are some magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and the North Han River (북한강) valley. Lake Homyeong can be reached by both hiking or a local bus. If you are ready for some time in the remote countryside, Lake Homyeong is an ideal place.

Content

• Meeting Location & Getting to Lake Homyeong
• Hiking to the Top
• Taking a Bus to the Top
• At the Top: Lake Homyeong
• Places to Eat

Meeting Location & Getting to Lake Homyeong

Lake Homyeong is located east of Seoul in the Gyeonggi Province (경기도). At the bottom of the mountain is the village of Sangcheon (상천) which also has a train station by the same name of Sangcheon Station (상천역). Luckily, this station is on the Gyeongchun Line (경춘선) which is connected to the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. If you have a T-Money Card, you don't have to buy a ticket to get to Sangcheon Station.

If you are coming from Seoul or the nearby surrounding area, a good place to meet would be Sangbong Station (상봉역). Sangbong Station is a transfer station in eastern part of Seoul that connects Line #7, the Gyeongchun Line and the Jungang Line (중앙선).


View Lake Homyeong Meeting Place in a larger map
An ideal meeting place would be inside Sangbong Station itself in front of the Storyway Convenience store. This is located between all three lines that connect at the station.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

One thing to note is while the line names are clearly labeled in Korean, they are not labeled in English. You will want to get on the Gyeongchun Line (경춘선) on the train headed to Chuncheon (춘천). Luckily, the station names are labeled in English.

The train that heads towards Sangcheon leave every 20 to 30 minutes. From Sangbong Station, it will take about 45 minutes to get there.


Hiking to the Top

If you are planning to hike to reach Lake Homyeong, you can start right away once you leave the train station. One thing to note is that other than a small market near the entrance of the train station, there really isn't any close by places to buy food and drinks for the hike. It will probably be best if you bring your own supplies from home for this trip.


View Hiking Path to Lake Homyeong in a larger map
When you exit the train station, you will see a tunnel under the rail line directly to your left. By crossing under here, you will find a small paved road that will start to head south towards the mountains.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

Continue along this road for awhile until you come across a sign post that points in multiple directions. One sign will point off the road towards a dirt path that heads into the woods. On the sign will be a phrase that says "호명호수 3.1km". Follow this path and from here it will start to head up the spine of the nearby ridge to the top of mountain and to Lake Homyeong.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

As you approach the top of the mountain, you'll come to a clearing that overlooks a small valley containing an open park. Beyond this small park the most noticeable feature here will be a large, slope of rocks which is in fact the dam that was made to create Lake Homyeong. To your left you will find a hiking path that goes down trough the valley and connects to a road that leads up to the lake.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

If you have ran out of snacks or water when you reach the top, there is a very small convenience store that sells a few snacks and beverages. The store is open during the regular tourist season - (i.e. not winter) - but the prices are a bit steep, however not as bad as an amusement park or an airport.


Taking a Bus to the Top

If hiking is not your thing or if your exhausted from an hour and half hike up the mountain in sweltering heat (like our hike), there is another option for getting to the top of the mountain. While it might not be obvious in the Google Map below, there is a road that goes from Lake Homyeong down into the valley to Sangcheon Station. You can switch to satellite view and zoom in to see the road.


View Bus to Homyeong Lake in a larger map
Probably the easiest way to get to the bus stop would be to start off as if you were going to get onto the hiking path as mentioned above. After crossing under the rail near the entrance of Sangcheon Station and heading up the paved road, take a left at the sign post, following the direction on the sign with the picture of the bus and the text that reads "BUS 정류장" (bus stop). On this road, you will come to an elementary school located right behind Sangcheon Station. When you come to the end of the elementary school, turn right and follow the road until it ends. At the end, take a left and very quickly, you will see a convenience store called 상천마트 (Sangcheon Mart) along a larger road.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

If you do need any snacks or some water, this is the place to get them in the village of Sangcheon. Also, when we went there, we were able to buy fireworks. Even though I am exactly sure where I can shoot off fireworks in Korea (legally), I bought some just because I could. They are still sitting on my bookshelf.

Besides buying food, beverages and things that could potentially burn and harm you, there is a bus stop in front of this mart for Bus 33-13. This is the bus that goes up to the top to Lake Homyeong. With a T-Money Card, the fare is 1,000 Won (100 Won more if you are paying with cash) and the bus comes by every 30 to 40 minutes during the tourism season. If you are not sure if you got the right bus, you can always print off the following and show this to the bus driver: 호명호수로 올라가요? (Does this bus go up to Lake Homyeong?) Once you get on, it's only about a fifteen minute bus ride to the top.

If you are at the top of Lake Homyeong already and want to back down to Sangcheon, there is a bus stop on the northeast corner of the lake in the parking lot next the benches. This is a good idea for those of you who want to save your knees from the wear and tear of hiking down the mountain.


At the Top: Lake Homyeong

Once you reach the top, there are a few things to do while you are at Lake Homyeong. The obvious choice is to enjoy the scenery of the lake and walk around the lake along the paved walking path. In the middle of the lake there are statues of a turtle and a pair of swans.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

If you are looking for a bit more to see, there is a path along the ridge that runs along the eastern and southern side of the lake. You will be able to find a series of stairs on the eastern side of the lake leading up into the woods.

At the top of the stairs is a art deco style statue dedicated to the workers of Korea who help set up the power grid for the country. I am not sure of the exact details of the statue since some of the writing is in Chinese characters (한자).

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

To the right of the statue is a museum in the shape a two story pagoda. Inside the museum are different exhibits about the types of electrical power in Korea. All of the text presented is in Korean. So unless you have a friend to translate or a Korean to English dictionary and lots of patience, you might want to pass on this part of Lake Homyeong.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

Further south from the pagoda, there are a few openings in the forest that present a wonderful view of North Han River Valley just to the south of Lake Homyeong.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

To the west of the lake is giant slope of rocks, which is the dam that forms Lake Homyeong. At the bottom of the dam is a park with a hedge maze. An idea place for a game of hide and go seek if one is in the mood.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

Beside the above mentioned items, there are a few flat open places for you and your friends to have a picnic or play a game of Frisbee or badminton. There is a very small convenience store next to the parking lot on the north eastern side, but the prices are a little bit steep.


Places to Eat

If you are looking for a place to have a meal in Sangcheon, there isn't much. One place we found was called The Wooden Bowl (함지박) which serves dishes consisting of hand made tofu (손두부). The restaurant is located on a small road just in front of the exit to Sangcheon Station.


View The Wooden Bowl (함지박) in a larger map
If you are coming from the bus station in front of the Sangcheon Mart (상천마트), you will be able to see the following signs. Just follow the arrows past the elementary school and through the tunnel under the rail line until you come to the restaurant.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

For those of your coming from the Sangcheon Station, start walking on the road near the entrance to the station away from the rail line. Right away, there will be a road that branches off to the right (before you get to the main road). Follow this road for about 50 meters and you will see it on your right.

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

The restaurant has a quite large selection of food, ranging from individual dishes to large dishes that serve multiple people. For our visit, most of us ended up getting the soft tofu dish (순두부).

From Lake Homyeong (호명호수)

Overall, the price and quality were fair. Given the extremely limited selections in this town, it was a much better choice then getting snacks from a convenience store.


Lake Homyeong is a place off the tourist beaten path that let's you enjoy some amazing views and a bit of peace and quiet of the country side. Though it is outside of Seoul, it is still pretty easy to get to since the local train station is connected to the Seoul Metropolitan Subway.

Manisan (마니산), Kanghwa Island (강화도) - May 5th, 2012

Located off the west coast of South Korea near the North Korean border, Kanghwa Island is host to a peaceful landscape full of history, relics, temples and not to mention, farms.  Dominating the terrain of the southern part of the island, the mountain Manisan was the location of our hike over the Children's Day Weekend.

Contents

• Meeting Location & Transportation
• Hiking
• Restaurants

Meeting Location & Transportation

There is only one red express bus that travels to base of Manisan.  This bus does starts near downtown Seoul at Sinchon Station (신촌역), but I found that meeting Yeomchang Station (염창역) allows an easy meeting point, especially for people not living in downtown Seoul or near the Hongdae area.  Additionally, Yeomchang Station is an express station for Line #9.


View Manisan Meeting Location in a larger map
Outside of Exit #2, you can see a westbound bus stop in the middle of the street.  From here, you can take the Red Express Bus 3100.  This bus takes a little bit less than two hours to get to the base of Manisan.  This could be long, especially if it is a good day for hiking.

You will need to get off at the second to last stop which is Manisan Entrance (마니산입구).  If you miss this, don't worry.  The last stop, which is the Hwado Kongyong Terminal (화도공용 버스터미널), is only a short distance down the road.

Hiking

Once you get off at the Manisan Entrance (마니산입구) bus stop, all you have to do is turn south and there is the entrance.  Along the way up, there are some convenience stores that sell snacks, water and hiking supplies.  Additionally, there are restaurants in the surrounding areas that you can get some food at.

A few meters up the path is the entrance.  Here you must pay the entrance fee, which is 1,500 Won for adults.  Note: Telling the ticket booth attendant that 'because your Korean speaking skills are like a child you deserve the children's rate' doesn't work.


View Manisan Hiking in a larger map

For your initial hike up (the Green Line), I recommend taking the longer 2.9km hike that veers off to the right a little while after the entrance.  This path will take you along the western spine of Manisan and give you some wonderful views of the Yellow Sea.

From Manisan (마니산)

From Manisan (마니산)

As you continue up, the first, shorter path connect to the longer trail.  From here, you will come across a staircase of 371 stairs that will get you to one of the highest points of Manisan, the Cham-seong-dan Altar (참성단), which has been on top of Manisan for hundreds of years.

It should be noted that you are not allow to consume any food or beverages (other than water) while you are in the altar area.  If you are looking for a place to have a picnic, just a bit farther east, there is a helicopter pad that is ideal for picnics, as long as it is not too windy.

At this point, you need to make a decision to continue hiking eastward or go back down from the direction that you came from.  While the scenery beyond this point is still wonderful and gives you a better view Incheon International Airport, there are a couple of reasons of why you might want to turn back now.

1. The difficulty of hiking increases.  You won't need any special gear, but be prepared to scramble up and down some decently sized rocks. Also, the decent can be a bit steep and slippery at times.


2. Getting back to the bus terminal may be a bit time consuming.  At the east entrance to Manisan, there is a bus stop with three buses that will take you back to the bus terminal to go home.  Since this is a bus stop in the country side, the time between buses can be over an hour.  Luckily, a message board that displays when the next bus will arrive.  If it is going to be awhile, you can sit down and relax at a restaurant nearby while you wait.  Another option is to hail a taxi.  This will cost you about 10,000 Won to get back to the main bus terminal.

If you do decide to continue on (the purple line on the map) you will have a great hike.  This is absolutely my favorite part of the hike.  You will be jumping from bolder to bolder as you continue along the spine of Manisan, but don't worry, there aren't any giant crevasses that will lead to a fatal fall.  Also, a guide rail has been installed for safety.

Along this path, you can look see the Yellow Sea and almost all of Kanghwa Island.  Also, off to the south you can watch planes take off from Incheon Airport.  On a clear day, you will be able to see some of the skyscrapers of the city of Incheon (인천) and look into North Korea.

From Manisan (마니산)

Once you reach the end of the spine, you will be starting you decent (represented by the orange line).  This part can be a bit tricky since it is steep and some of the rocks you will hike across will be quite smooth.  There will also be two path options when going down: The Ridge Path (left) or the Valley Path (right).  Both will lead you to the same spot.

If you take the Ridge Path, you will come across a pavilion that has a powerful mounted binoculars that will help you peer into Incheon.  The Valley Path will take you into some camping grounds.  Just before you arrive at the camping grounds, you can see some Chinese characters that were carved into the rock face hundreds of years ago.

From Manisan (마니산)

Either way, you will end up at the Hamheo Dongcheon (함허동천) bus stop where you can catch three different buses (1, 4 & 41) that will take you back to the main bus terminal.


Restaurants

There are two great restaurants near the entrance to Manisan.

The first is called 'Hometown Spring' (고향의 봄) which is located around the corner from the Manisan Entrance (마니산입구) bus stop.

The other is a Dwen Jang Bibimbap restaurant (편가네돤장), just down the road from the Hwado Kongyong Bus Terminal (화도공용 버스터미널).


View Manisan Restaurants in a larger map

To get to Hometown Spring, turn right when you get off the bus at Manisan Entrance.  From there, walk east down the road until you get to the end of all the regular restaurants lining the streets.  Here, you will see a wooden sign with Korean letters for the restaurant (고향의 봄).  Turn left onto the small road and quickly turn left into a small parking lot.  This will be the entrance to the restaurant.  When we went there, it looked closed since there was nobody eating outside at the time.  But after walking into the orange building, we found the main restaurant and had a wonderful meal.

From Manisan (마니산)

The other place is a Dwen Jang Bibimbap restaurant just north of the main bus terminal, behind a small hill.  While there are buses that go that way, the likelihood of not having to wait for one is small.  It is a short 10-15 minute walk from the bus terminal.  The only downside to that is the road is surrounded by farms and the stench of manure is present, though not overwhelming.

The Dwen Jang Bibimbap there is quite famous since it has won national awards for its recipe.

Both of these places are wonderful and if you are lucky, you might get some complementary country style soft tofu.


Manisan has been a great hike both of the times that I went there.  While it is quite a bit out of the way, it does offer some very interesting things to see.  Also, if you plan to make a trip to Kanghwa Island for a few days, there are plenty of other things to do on the island.