Reenactment of the Beacon Fire Signal at Achasan Bongsudae Site in Jungnang-gu

[Seoul District News] Jungnang-gu Holds Beacon Fire Reenactment Ceremony at Bonghwasan Summit Achasan Beacon Site on 21st Morning & Performs Traditional Guard, Patrol, and Shift Change Rituals... Gangbuk-gu Opens Samyang-dong Community Center & Building with 1 Basement to 5 Floors, Total Area 2,997㎡... Guro-gu Opens ‘Hangdong Blue Library’

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi) held a beacon fire lighting reenactment ceremony on the morning of the 21st at the site of the Achasan beacon fire station located at the summit of Bonghwasan.

Beacon fire lighting was a military communication system that used signal fires on mountain peaks to alert the central government of emergencies. The Achasan beacon fire station was the first of the five beacon fire lines during the Joseon Dynasty, serving as an inland beacon fire station. It played an important role in relaying beacon signals from Hamgyeong Province to Mokmyeoksan, alerting about invasions by northern tribes.

The district, inspired by the fact that beacon fires were used during the March 1st Independence Movement under Japanese colonial rule, set the beacon fire lighting reenactment ceremony on November 17, the Day of the Patriots and Veterans, and first introduced it last year.

This year, the event was postponed due to the College Scholastic Ability Test schedule and was held on the 21st. The reenactment began with folk songs that evoke the autumn atmosphere, followed by various celebratory performances including daegeum (bamboo flute) playing and a demonstration of swordsmanship from the Muye Dobo Tongji. Then, a duty team and a relief team, dressed in traditional costumes as special guards and beacon soldiers, performed the beacon fire lighting ritual. The ceremony included the guard ritual protecting the beacon fire station, the patrol ritual around the beacon fire station, the relief ritual, and the lighting of the first beacon fire during normal times.

Ryu Gyeong-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, who attended the reenactment, said, “Following last year, it is even more meaningful to revisit the historical and cultural significance of Bonghwasan through the beacon fire lighting reenactment ceremony.” He added, “We will continue to strive to preserve and carry on the history and culture of Jungnang-gu to foster pride among residents.”

The current Achasan beacon fire station is a restored model built in 1994 as part of the 600th anniversary project of Seoul’s founding, as only the site remained after the original was destroyed. The Achasan beacon fire station site is designated as Seoul City Monument No. 15.

Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) held an opening ceremony for the Samyang-dong Community Service Center on the 21st.

The new Samyang-dong Community Service Center building, located at 69 Solmae-ro, Mia-dong, is a public facility donated as part of the Mia 3rd District housing redevelopment project. After about a year of construction starting in February last year, the building was completed with a total floor area of 2,997㎡ across basement level 1 to the 5th floor, and administrative services began in January this year.

To ensure that all residents can easily use the facility, reinforcement work for the ‘Barrier-Free Living Environment Certification’ was completed by September, and the opening ceremony was held on the 21st.

The main internal facilities include: ▲ Basement 1 parking lot and storage ▲ 1st floor civil affairs office, administration office, community chief’s office, archive ▲ 2nd floor community headquarters, village library, infant reading room, nursing room ▲ 3rd floor education welfare center, Dream Start center ▲ 4th floor residents’ autonomy committee office, meeting rooms, three cultural lecture rooms ▲ 5th floor multipurpose auditorium and outdoor terrace.

In particular, infrastructure that was previously lacking, such as the infant reading room, cultural lecture rooms, and multipurpose auditorium, was established to meet residents’ cultural needs. The facility was also designed as a safe, barrier-free living environment to ensure ease of use for the elderly and disabled.

The opening ceremony, held at 10:30 a.m., was attended by about 150 people including Mayor Lee Soon-hee, guests, and local residents. Considering the social atmosphere following the Itaewon tragedy, the ceremony was conducted quietly.

Mayor Lee Soon-hee said, “We will provide better administrative services and various leisure opportunities at the pleasant and safe Samyang-dong Community Service Center,” adding, “We will make the community center an open space where culture and welfare harmonize.”

“Where ‘Nature, Books, and People’ Meet”

Guro-gu’s Hang-dong Pureun Library opened its doors on the 21st.

Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) announced on the 22nd, “We built a library in Hang-dong Pureun Arboretum so residents can enjoy nature while reading books, and held an opening ceremony.”

As a large-scale housing complex was developed in the Hang-dong area, residents had continuously requested more convenience facilities.

In response, Guro-gu invested a total budget of 5.161 billion KRW from national, city, and district funds to build a library for residents within the Hang-dong Pureun Arboretum.

Located at San 18-2, Hang-dong, the Hang-dong Pureun Library was constructed as a two-story building with a total floor area of 908㎡. The first floor houses the children and infant materials room, office, and multipurpose room, while the second floor contains the general materials room and multimedia room.

The library holds about 10,000 books and provides a total of 71 reading seats (14 on the first floor, 57 on the second floor).

It is open to everyone from infants to adults. Operating hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The library is closed every Monday and on legal holidays.

The opening ceremony was held on the 21st in the multipurpose room on the first floor of Hang-dong Pureun Library. Attendees included Mayor Moon Heon-il, officials from Sungkonghoe University, Kim Won, CEO of the architectural environment research institute Gwangjang who donated the library design, among others. The event featured a progress report, presentation of plaques of appreciation, speeches, ribbon-cutting, commemorative photos, and a facility tour.

Mayor Moon Heon-il said, “Libraries today are transforming into spaces that share the joys and sorrows of residents’ lives through books,” adding, “I hope everyone gains both wisdom for life and the joy of healing at Hang-dong Pureun Library, located deep in nature.”