[One Day Walk] Forest Trail Walkable with a Stroller... Ansan Jarakgil

There are times when you want to escape the exhausting daily routine and find solace by breathing in the cool air and the fragrant scents of grass and earth in a dense forest. If your feet are free, you could set off on a mountain hike right away, but for those with young children or elderly people with mobility difficulties, there are not many places where you can easily go as you wish. If you are looking for an easy-to-walk forest trail, try heading to the 'Seodaemun-gu Ansan Jarak-gil.' The trail is not rugged enough to prevent wheelchairs or strollers from passing through, which is a distinctive feature.

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Ansan Jarak-gil is a 7 km-long, nationwide first circular barrier-free trail where people with disabilities, the elderly, children, and other walking-vulnerable groups can walk comfortably. It is accessible enough to pull wheelchairs and strollers. Along different sections, you can enjoy various forests such as metasequoia and spruce forests, and depending on the direction?east, west, south, or north?you can enjoy views of the Han River, Inwangsan, Bukhansan, and the Blue House. You can enter the trail from Exit 5 of Dongnimmun Station on Subway Line 3 or from the Seodaemun-gu Office side.

Around Ansan Jarak-gil, there are many historical landmarks such as Seodaemun Independence Park and the former prison, the beacon mound built during the Joseon Dynasty, and Bongwonsa Temple, which was founded during the Silla period.

Among these, Bongwonsa Temple is an ancient temple established in the 3rd year of Queen Jinseong’s reign, the 51st ruler of Silla (889 AD), and it is the headquarters of the Korean Buddhist Taego Order. Especially every June, it holds the 'Yeongsanjae,' which is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is regarded as a grand Buddhist ritual in which the public can participate. Yeongsanjae is a ceremony that reenacts the moment when Shakyamuni preached the Lotus Sutra on Mount Yeongchwi, and during the ritual, the Barachum (fan dance), Nabichum (butterfly dance), and Beopgomu (Buddhist drum dance) are performed. Bongwonsa has the Samcheonbuljeon (Hall of Three Thousand Buddhas) covering an area of 1,100 pyeong (approximately 3,636 square meters), and with 100,000 followers, you can imagine its scale.

If you keep walking, you can also see the beacon mound built in the 24th year of King Sejong’s reign. In the past, it was a communication method that used smoke signals during the day and fire signals at night to convey urgent news, but now only the site remains. It was restored in 1944 as part of the 600th anniversary project of Seoul’s founding. From here, you can overlook the heart of Seoul at a glance.

The forest trail becomes even denser and the views better in spring, so when the weather warms up, it would be great to walk here with your family.

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