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Making “Framily” with Seoul International Hikers Club
When we considered what it would be like to move to a large city in a new country, especially in the middle of a global pandemic, it was impossible to know what it would be like. Would social activities be allowed? Would we find other people willing to meet strangers during a pandemic? Would we make friends? Even though we had some ideas about how we might meet people, I think we were semi-prepared to spend a lot of time alone. Within a month of our arrival in Seoul, I found the Facebook group for the Seoul International Hikers Club (SIHC). The introduction to the group says, “We are a…
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The Great Wall of… South Korea? Hwaseong Fortress
This is essentially one post in two parts. In this post: Hwaseong. In the last post: Namhansanseong. The Korean Peninsula’s strategic position between China and Japan has increased its risk of military invasion for centuries. Vestiges of this history remain in the form of protective fortress walls in Seoul and beyond, many of which are now maintained and utilized as hiking trails. The ease of accessing these trails, as well as their tendency to be well-maintained, have made them a go-to for our hiking adventures since we arrived in Seoul. In addition to trekking the Seoul city walls, we have visited Namhansanseong Fortress just outside of Seoul, and Hwaseong Fortress…
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The Great Wall of… South Korea? Namhansanseong Fortress
The Korean Peninsula’s strategic position between China and Japan has increased its risk of military invasion for centuries. Vestiges of this history remain in the form of protective fortress walls in Seoul and beyond, many of which are now maintained and utilized as hiking trails. The ease of accessing these trails, as well as their tendency to be well-maintained, have made them a go-to for our hiking adventures since we arrived in Seoul. In addition to trekking the Seoul city walls, we have visited Namhansanseong Fortress just outside of Seoul, and Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon. Each is worth the trip from the city and provided very different opportunities for exploration.…
