Surviving the Last ‘Dog Days’ of Seoul Summer
Staying outside as much as possible is a necessity in Seoul’s current semi-lock-down, but wow has it been hot and humid here! There’s no option to escape into a cool museum or a pool. It has been a time to get creative with planning! So what is there to do outdoors in Seoul in these last days of summer?
Ansan Jarak-gil Trail
Ansan Mountain looms over the former Seodaemun Prison, now a museum surrounded by Seodaemun Independence Park. The museum is closed because of COVID right now, so I won’t say much about it as hopefully we will get to visit it someday. The Independence Park is a monument to activists who fought for Korean independence during the colonial era of the early 20th century.
We were not keen to hike to the summit as it was 93 degrees with 75% humidity, so the Jarak-gil Trail was a good option. After you climb several very steep flights of stairs (sigh), you reach a wooden walkway that loops around the middle of Ansan mountain, offering a shaded trail and lovely views without a lot of elevation change.
There were times I wanted the path to be even flatter, but for a mountain trail this is probably as flat as it gets!
Of course, while we were wilting from the heat in our light, U.S.-style summer clothing, the Koreans were wearing full hiking gear and did not seem to be breaking a sweat! We tried not to feel too badly about ourselves as we passed all of the elderly hikers working out along the trail. To be clear, I’m not calling the folks in the photos below elderly. We didn’t get any pictures of the quite elderly people using all the outdoor workout equipment we passed. (Picture Sophia from the “Golden Girls” doing ring pull-ups, and you’ll have the idea!)
We did underestimate the heat a little and had not brought enough water with us to last through the 2.5-hour hike. Happily, we came across a natural mineral water spring that the locals were using to fill their water bottles. So “when in Seoul…,” you know. The spring water tasted way better than the tap water in our apartment! Fortunately, we did not experience any negative consequences from drinking it, although we were so hot and thirsty we were willing to risk it.
At the end of the trail our reward was an icy fruit smoothie. The watermelon ones seem to be trendy in Seoul this summer and are oh-so-refreshing – ahhhhhhh. We lived to tell the tale!
Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs
We had no clue that in the middle of glittering Gangnam exists a very important set of historical tombs – yet another UNESCO World Heritage site. Just off a main drag of Gangnam’s busy downtown sits a green, wooded park containing the tombs of three monarchs of the Joseon Dynasty. King Seongjong (the 9th king of the Joseon Dynasty), Queen Jeonghyeon (the second wife of King Seongjong), and King Jungjong (their son and the 11th king of the Joseon Dynasty) are buried in three separate hillocks within the park. The site is sometimes called Seonjeongneung, a combination of the three names.
Seolleung was built in 1495, the tomb of Queen Jeonghyeon in 1530, and Jeongneung, (the tomb of King Jungjong) in 1562. Although the graves were damaged during a Japanese invasion in 1592, they were restored and have been cared for at varying levels of protection over the centuries. Each of the king’s tombs has its own shrine where ancestral rites are still carried out at appointed times, and each shrine has a “spirit road” that is not be used by visitors.
King Seongjong (1457-1530) is known for his reign of peace and prosperity, as well as for completing the main legal code of the Joseon Dynasty. He became king after his father died when he was only 12, so he needed to complete his education quickly before assuming the throne at age 20. He was thought to be very devoted to poetry and study. I knew I liked this king when I saw this quote from The Annals of King Seongjong: “As the king incessantly read books, Queen Grandmother Jeonghui asked him, ‘Don’t you feel tired?’ The king responded, ‘I love reading from my heart, so I do not feel tired.'” (February 29, 1471)
His tomb, Seolleung, is more difficult to see as there is no path that allows you to climb the hill to the tomb (at least not that we could find). You can see how large the hill is, though!
A beautiful wooded path winds through the park and allows you to reach Jeongneung and the queen’s tomb, which are much more accessible.
At Jeongneung, you can more easily see the stone figures of civil and military officials that guard the tomb. Other stone objects symbolize the monarch’s power. It’s amazing how close Gangnam’s office buildings are to the tomb sites!
The tomb of Queen Jeonghyeon includes the least pomp of the three tombs, although it still is guarded by stone figures and is well-tended. There seem often to be “soap opera” stories associated with royal families. In the drama of this generation, Queen Jeonghyeon was promoted from concubine after the previous queen was deposed.
This was an excellent place to walk through the quiet woods and learn a little history at the same time. And at the end – another watermelon smoothie!
Han River Cruise
We have found the Han River shore to be an excellent evening retreat. The trails there are well-marked and well-lit, and there is usually a breeze blowing even after the hottest days. One night while walking, we noticed that one cruise boat seemed to be making trips along the river, and it was nearly empty! Of course, we booked ourselves a ride immediately.
We felt very safe COVID-wise as the boat was large, and our cruise had only 20 passengers. We all stayed on the open deck and had plenty of space to distance from one another. The breeze was perfect!
Usually the evening river cruise takes passengers to see the Banpo Bridge Fountain Show, which happens every summer evening on the river. Unfortunately, the fountain has not been running this summer, so the cruise instead goes past Yeouido, a large island that houses Seoul’s finance district.
It’s still a great place to cruise at night as the skyscrapers lit up are fun to see. Yeouido also houses the National Assembly Building of South Korea.
Our planning may not always work out perfectly, but we keep finding places we can safely explore!
