Time of the visit: the 4th of Nov.,2025

These extensive defensive walls stretch for a total of around 19 kilometers across a range of landscapes, including mountain slopes, rolling hills, and flat plains. While certain sections have been demolished or partially damaged by developments like road construction, the majority of the structure remains well-preserved in its original form.Hanyangdoseong is a historically significant fortress with strong potential for UNESCO recognition due to its architectural ingenuity, historical testimony, and cultural value.They want it to be listed by UNESCO, as it's a key part of Seoul's ancient history. The quite good Seoul City Wall Museum is located in the Heunginjimun Park area and is an excellent starting point for exploring the nearby Naksan section of the historic wall and surrounding attractions.

Seoul City Wall Museum

This museum is dedicated to the history of the Seoul City Wall (Hanyangdoseong).The most convenient way to get there is by taking the subway to Dongdaemun Station (Lines 1 & 4) and using Exit 1, followed by a short 4/5-minute walk.The museum is part of the popular Naksan Mountain Trail (also called the Heunginjimun Section), which is considered one of the most walkable and scenic family-friendly courses. A suggested walking route is:

1. Start at Heunginjimun Gate (Dongdaemun Gate): This is the historic Great East Gate of Seoul.
2. Walk to the Seoul City Wall Museum: Explore the museum's exhibitions.
3. Continue to Ihwa Mural Village: A vibrant neighborhood known for its street art, a kind of Korean hipster playground,good place to have a coffee in this cool cafes
4. Walk through Naksan Park: This park offers beautiful views of the city and romantic nightscapes.
5. End at Hyehwamun Gate: This marks the end of the Naksan section.Route: Heunginjimun Gate → Seoul City Wall Museum → Ihwa Mural Village → Naksan Park → Hyehwamun Gate. Walking Time: approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.This section is well-paved and less strenuous than the mountain trails. For more detailed information, maps, and an audio guide for the entire 18.6 km Seoul City Wall, you can download the official "Seoul City Wall" mobile app.................If you walk from the Seoul City Wall Museum in the opposite direction of Ihwa Mural Village, you will head south/southwest along the wall. This route takes you toward the historic Heunginjimun Gate (Dongdaemun) and the Gwanghuimun Gate area.
   
   Here are the key sites you will encounter along this route, ordered from the museum heading south.
   
   Heunginjimun Gate (Dongdaemun / The Great East Gate)
   The main eastern gate of Seoul. It has a unique outer defensive wall and is well worth seeing..
   The museum is located within Heunginjimun Park.Therefore the walking time is quite short.
   
   Ogansumun & Igansumun Sites (Five & Two-span Water Gates)
   Historic water gates where streams from the city walls flowed out. Only the sites or reconstructions remain.
   (Located between Heunginjimun and Gwanghuimun)
   
   Gwanghuimun Gate (The Small South Gate)
   A small auxiliary gate in the southeast, also historically called Sugumun (Water Gate). It was rebuilt in 1975.
   Around 20-25 min walking time away from the museum.
   
   Dongdaemun History & Culture Park. A park built on the former Dongdaemun Stadium site. It houses historical exhibits and the modern Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).
   Walking Time from Museum: 10-15 minutes
   About This Walking Course:
   The official trail from Heunginjimun Gate to Jangchung Gymnasium, which passes Gwanghuimun, is about 1.8 km and takes roughly 1 hour to walk at a sightseeing pace. This area was historically the city's lowest point, so you'll see references to water management.
   
   The trail is urban and less mountainous than the Naksan section, passing markets and residential areas. Note that parts of the original wall in this section have been lost to urban development over the centuries.This southern route offers a more urban and modern historical experience compared to the scenic, hillside walk toward Naksan Park and Ihwa Village.

I got off at the Dondaemun History+Culture Park metro station and strolled from there to Hyehwamun gate at a leisurely pace...a long but pleasant walk. Shorter but less time-consuming is a stroll from Dongaemun station to the Nansan park and back to the station or from the Dongdeamun History+Culture park station to Ihwa Mural village and back to the Dongdeamun station.

One more word about the nomination.

Namhansanseong (Inscribed 2014) was designed and used as an emergency capital. It is a self-contained city-fortress meant to house the king, government, and thousands of people during a siege.

The Capital Fortifications of Hanyang is an integrated capital defense system for the main capital, Hanyang (Seoul).

It has 3 components:

1. Hanyangdoseong: The main city wall surrounding Seoul.
2. Bukhansanseong: A mountain fortress to protect residents north of the capital.
3. Tangchundaeseong: A wall built specifically to block the enemy's route between the other two.

Both sites,Namhansanseong and the Seoul Fortifications,are products of the same historical pressure: defending the Joseon Dynasty in the 17th-18th centuries from foreign invasions. While Namhansanseong was the backup capital, the Hanyang fortifications were the primary capital's shield.They both served the same purpose.A combined nomination could tell a more complete story of Joseon-era military strategy. It would showcase a comprehensive "defense-in-depth" doctrine, from the primary city walls to a remote backup capital, illustrating the full spectrum of East Asian fortress architecture and national defense planning.Thats why I am in favour of an extension nomination instead of a separate nomination. Sure,combining them risks diluting or confusing their distinct OUVs.

The proposal, as it stands, strongly suggests authorities currently favor the separate nomination route.

I am against a separate nomination.Nevertheless, I see and recognise Hanyang's OUV.

As for the visitor experience: the museum is pretty informative and interesting,and the walk along the wall and its immediate surroundings was surprisingly pleasant.Not a great potential WHS but a very decent one.