[One Day Walk] Nature and History in the City... Dongdaemun-gu 'Hongneung Dumulgil'

Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, has selected and operates a ‘Healing Walking Trail.’ This trail is chosen so that people of all ages can walk easily and enjoy sights, providing a place for residents tired of city life to ‘heal.’ Among these, the Hongneung Dumul-gil is a course where you can enjoy both nature and history.

This course starts at Seongbukcheon under Anam 2 Bridge in Sinseol-dong, Dongdaemun-gu. It is a route that follows Seongbukcheon, a tributary of Cheonggyecheon, Seoul’s representative stream, and Jeongneungcheon, which crosses Dongdaemun-gu, walking up to Yeonghwiwon and Inwon. The total length is 6.2 km, taking about 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Healing Walking Trail in Dongdaemun-gu, Hongneung Dumoolgil Course (Photo by Dongdaemun-gu Office)

Along the path from Seongbukcheon to Cheonggyecheon is the ‘Seoul Pungmul Market.’ Known as a place where ‘everything except what you don’t need is available,’ Seoul Pungmul Market mainly sells old books, wigs, and antiques, and also deals with the sale and repair of cameras and electronic products. The streams on the Hongneung Dumul-gil course are all connected. Walking along Seongbukcheon to Cheonggyecheon leads to Jeongneungcheon.

Walking along Jeongneungcheon, you will pass sites such as the ‘Seongdong Station site,’ ‘Seoul Yakryeong Market,’ and ‘Seonnongdang.’ Seongdong Station was the starting station of the Gyeongchun Line, a private railway established by the Gyeongchun Railway Company on July 25, 1939, during the Japanese colonial period. After liberation, the Gyeongchun Line private railway was nationalized and demolished in 1970 when it was relocated to Cheongnyangni Station.

Yakryeong Market is the largest herbal medicine market distributing 70% of the herbal medicines traded in Korea. Seonnongdan is an altar where Joseon Dynasty kings prayed for a good harvest. Walking along the Hongneung Dumul-gil allows you to experience history from the Joseon Dynasty to modern times.

After walking about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Seongbukcheon, you will reach the vicinity of the destination. This area includes the King Sejong Memorial Hall, Hongneung Neighborhood Park, Yeonghwiwon, and Sunginwon, surrounded by tall trees, allowing you to enjoy both nature and history. The King Sejong Memorial Hall consists of four exhibition rooms: the Biography Room, Hangeul Room, Science Room, and Gugak (traditional Korean music) Room, where you can view King Sejong’s achievements.

Exiting the King Sejong Memorial Hall, you can see Hongneung Neighborhood Park and Yeonghwiwon and Sunginwon. This area is called Hongneung because it contains Hongneung, the tomb of Empress Myeongseong. Yeonghwiwon is the tomb of Sunheon Hwanghu, the concubine of Emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire, and Sunginwon is the tomb of Lee Jin, the first son of Uimin Hwangtaeja, the last crown prince of the Korean Empire. Originally, this place was designated as a royal family cemetery, but Hongneung was moved to Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, in 1919 to be buried together with Emperor Gojong.