Mountain Bukaksan of Seoul

The southern gate and eastern gate of Seoul are famous for markets there, and the western gate is a station of subway at present. I was curious where the northern gate was. Then I found the Mountain Bukaksan, where the northern gate was, by word of mouth on a Japanese website. Two reasons took me there. One comes to the great sketch of the Mt. Bukaksan's homepage on which a traditional-dressed Korean woman in the hole of northern gate the attracted me. Two comes to the mystery of forbidden area where people couldn't enter for 38 years.

I went Mt. Bukaksan by a green bus,and got off at the terminal. I thought it was the terminal, because all the people got off there, and the bus driver yelled at me. On the foot of the mountain was a park without so-called entrance, map board and any signs. I even doubted if I got off wrong stop. I walked along a road went up the mountain where a few people got down. It was about half past 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I must reach to the application window before 3, or I would be not allowed to get in. But where was it. A rough map on a broad showed me a long way to the peak of the mountain where I would submit an application. So I sped up my pace that made me tired.

The mountain road

After a long mountain way, I arrived at the office and submit an application with showing my passport. Several groups of Korean uncles were there too, some having a break to get down and some just entering. They seemed outdoorsy, while I wore a pair of CROSS ( not an advertisement, it's not good for mountain). The Seoul Fortress was built along the ridge of Mt. Bukaksa. As a previous military security area, numerous watchhouses remained. And even nowadays, staffs, standing about every 20m, observed visitors and warned me no photo here and there. But most of them were not good at English.

Watchhouse

I spent much time and energy on Mt. Bukaksan and made me not happy that the staffs there weren't friendly at all, one told me a wrong way on purpose and another followed me a while. Maybe they bewared if by any chance I was a spy. If it was true, why did they allow foreigner get in on earth?

The northern gate wasn't as beautiful as it on the sketch. I was really disappointed. 

From the peak

Northern gate