November 24, 2007

  • Bongeuisan - Chuncheon, RoK - October, 2007

    I've been in Chuncheon for over a year. Strange being in one place that long. I thought I would get a call from the Academic Office with news of a new assignment.

    Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, and is 95 kilometers northeast of Seoul. By bus, one can be in Seoul in one hour. By train, the trip takes nearly two hours. It is often refered to as the "beautiful lakeside city of Chuncheon," for the city is nestled nicely on the banks of the Bukhan River and the Soyang River. Popular places to visit incluce Soyang Lake and Euam Dam, which forms Euam Lake.

    The centerpiece of Chuncheon is Mount Bongeui, or in the Korean, Bongeuisan. I've heard it pronounced "Bong-lee-san" but have been told that "Bong-u-ee-san" is correct. This past August we had good enough weather for a change and I took a hike up this beautiful, 301 meter tall mountain. One of the highlights of the trip is the remains of a wall that formed part of the defenses of Bongeuisanseong, or Bongeuisan Fortress. Some parts of the wall are still in their original condition, and other parts have been restored.


    Bongeuisanseong Fortress Wall - August, 2007

    It is thought that the fortress was built during the Silla Kingdom, around the 7th Century AD. During the time of Goguryeo, two battle were fought here. One was in 1219, and the other was in 1253, during the Mongol invasion. The people took refuge behind the walls, and the Mongols laid seige. It is said that when the people ran out of water, they drank the blood of cows and horses. Eventually the Mongols captured the fortress, killing many people, government officials and soldiers.

    During the Japanese invasion, General Won Ho had his camp here, and it was a hard-fought battlefield during the Korean War (1950-1953).

    At the base of the mountain you can see Hallym University, established in 1982. It's a very nice campus.

    The original image of Bongeuisan is 100 inches long and 34.333 inches wide. It was taken with a Canon Digital Kiss X from the top of my apartment building about a kilometer east of the mountain. I used a 75-300mm telephoto lens and took three images of the mountain, then built the panorama you see above.

Comments (4)

  • it looks like a very good place. i hope you are enjoying yourself over there.

    i am so glad i have been able to get violet [the new horse]. she's been a real angel.

  • I hope you are doing well "over there." Thanks for occasionally sharing bits of your world.

  • Yeah, I meant NAU, not NAFTA, my bad. Still, both are horrible.

    I should've figured you'd be in this camp, hahaha. You were the one who showed me libertarianism, really.

  • I can't believe I have been so bad and not been to your pages in so long.  Your panorama is wonderful showing so much color from the city.  I am curious about the cleanliness of the rivers there.  China has very bad reports for their polution factors in their waterways.  I hope it's better in Korea. 

    Your photography is really wonderful showing off the countryside and displaying it in such a positive way.

      I have saved in my wish list at Amazon a Sigma 70-300 mm lens.  I hope to get it for Valentines Day or maybe Mother's Day.  Do you see my fingers crossed? 

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