[One Day Walk] From 'Yaksasa' Favored by Jeongseon to 'Arabaetgil Observatory'... Gaehwasan Forest Trail

'Gaehwasan Forest Trail,' which is also Course 1 of the Gangseo Dullegil, is an intermediate 3.35km route starting from Banghwa Station, Gaehwasan Station, and Gaehwa Station. It includes Banghwa Neighborhood Park, Yaksasa Temple, and the Ara Canal Observatory.

The first place you reach is Banghwa Neighborhood Park. The park features a circular stage, plaza, pond, fountain, and waterwheel. Along the walking path, various trees including cherry blossom trees are planted, and it is adjacent to the lush Gaehwasan Forest and Kkogneokgae Neighborhood Park, making it an ideal picnic spot for families.

On this course, you can also glimpse traces of the late Joseon Dynasty painter, Gyeomjae Jeong Seon. The main highlight is 'Yaksasa Temple,' which Jeong Seon is said to have frequently visited as a subject for his paintings due to the dense forest of Gaehwasan and the outstanding surrounding scenery including the Han River. Jeong Seon painted this temple and its surroundings under the name 'Gaehwasa.' The temple is known for its cold spring water, believed to cure long-term illnesses when patients bathe in it. Additionally, there are stone Buddha statues and a three-story stone pagoda at Yaksasa Temple, designated as Seoul City Tangible Cultural Properties, allowing visitors to appreciate traces of Goryeo Dynasty history.

Passing the observatory and Bonghwajeong Pavilion at the summit of Gaehwasan leads to the Ara Canal Observatory. From here, you can view the Ara Canal, which directly connects the sea in front of Incheon and the Han River, as well as the cityscape of Gimpo and the Ilsan New Town.

Next, passing through Sinseon Rock, known as the 'rocky path where the mountain spirit of Gaehwasan descends,' and the Patriotic Memorial Monument honoring over 1,000 soldiers of the Army 1st Division who died in the Korean War, you arrive at Mitasa Temple. Located at the western edge of Seoul, spanning the Gimpo Plain and the end of Haengju Ferry, this temple offers a sense of tranquility and solitude despite being in the heart of the city.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.