YEONSU IN HISTORY CHEONGLYANGSAN MOUNTAIN

SCENERY OF THE OLD

CHEONGLYANGSAN MOUNTAIN

OVERLOOKING THE YELLOW SEA

Cheonglyangsan Mountain

now stands in the center

of the urbanized district

of Yeonsu-gu.

 

In the old days,

it was surrounded

by the sea on three sides,

creating splendid scenery

from every direction.

 

The views of the cobalt

blue sky and crystal-clear span

of the sea provided from

its peak are now something

only accessible in

our imagination.

Since entry to

Cheonglyangsan Mountain

became limited in 1960,

it has not been possible

to enjoy the mountain

as people had done

freely in the past.

 

This partial ban was inevitable

in order for the government

to conserve the mountain

that had been deforested

through lumbering to fuel

homes and from the destruction

of the Korean War.

 

The ban was eventually lifted and,

with the increasing

number of hikers,

more and more trails were

established in different

parts of the mountain.

 

In the early 1990s,

the city engaged in

a citizens’ campaign named the

“Cheonglyangsan Mountain

Revival Campaign.”

 

However, the campaign proved

ineffective due to sweeping

social trends that prioritized

the leisure of mountain climbing.

 

In addition, apartment buildings

built at the bottom

of the mountain,

along with shops

developed for hikers,

did nothing to help preserve

the magnificent mountain views.

 

The mountain’s current

purpose is to fulfill

its role as a green belt

and park in Yeonsu-gu’s

city center.