A fortress and an old trade route at a beautiful location in a mountainous area. Go off the beaten path and visit Mungyeong in South Korea.
About Mungyeong
Mungyeong is not a big or well-known city. You can find Mungyeong at an hour’s drive north of Daegu near Woraksan National Park and Songnisan National Park. It is a perfect stop when you are traveling between Seoul or Chuncheon and Daegu or another city in the southern part of South Korea. I visited Mungyeong on my second big trip to South Korea when driving from Suanbo to Daegu.
The Jinnamgyoban Area, where all these sites are located, was selected as the first of the Eight Scenic Views of Gyeongsangbuk-do for its beautiful landscape. You can still see the traces left by the ancestors of modern-day Koreans, including a group of taverns next to the road and a shrine. A long time ago, this was a very strategically important location.
Gomosanseong Fortress and Gobunsanseong Fortress were built by the Silla Dynasty as part of its expansion northwards in the 5th century. There are also many tombs from this dynasty from the 6th and 7th centuries. Another fortress, Seokhyeonseong Fortress, was built during the more recent Joseon Dynasty. This area is the only place in Korea where you can find these rich cultural heritage sites of different times in one area.
Things to see in Mungyeong
In Mungyeong you can visit the following three sites from the same parking lot:
- Gomosanseong Fortress
- Tokkibiri Cliffside Road
- Mungyeong Omija Theme Tunnel
Gomosanseong Fortress (고모산성)
From the parking lot, you start walking up the hill past Mungyeong Omija Theme Tunnel towards Gomosanseong Fortress. The road is a bit slippery if the ground is wet, so be careful. After a short climb, you see the fortress wall and gate in front of you. It feels a bit like it dooms up out of nowhere, as you suddenly see it when reaching the clearing in the forest.
The fortress is well kept and you can walk on top of the wall (or next to it) to explore the fort. If you climb higher you have a nice view of the valley with the river and the mountains.
History of Gomosanseong Fortress
Gomosanseong Fortress (also called Gomo Mountain Fortress) is an important historical site as it was used during the civilian protest war against the Japanese imperialistic invasion in 1895 and 1896. Ungang, Lee Gangyeon stationed his troops at this fortress to form a defense line. For the Japanese the fortress was a crucial spot from a logistic perspective.
Because of the stance Lee Gangyeon made, the Japanese set fire to the villages around it. You can still see the burn marks on the zelkova tree near the entrance of the fortress.
Traditional houses
North of the fortress gate you can find an open-air traditional Korean houses ‘museum’ (more like three houses). During my visit, many elderly Koreans were relaxing on the wooden platforms under kaki fruit trees opposite the traditional houses.
Walking past the houses you will see three colorful fitness machines nearly overgrown by plants: a sight I personally thought was very interesting and iconic. You’ll often find these fitness machines in the places you least expect them.
Location: Sinhyeon-ri, Maseong-myeon, Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Opening hours: 8:00 – 18:00.
Tokkibiri Cliffside Road (문경 토끼비리)
If you follow the Gomosanseong Fortress wall east you will reach the start of Tokkibiri Cliffside Road. This old trade route is the only clifftop path in the country and at the same time also the most dangerous path on Yeongnam-daero. A quote from Sinjeung dongguk yeoji seungnam (Revised and Augmented Survey of the Geography of Korea, 1481):
“The 500m-long stone-carved path, called Gwangapcheon or Tocheon, is located along a section of the cliff east of Yongyeon. According to a local legend, troops led by King Taejo (Wang Geon) of Goryeo once marched through this area to conquer the southern provinces of the Korean Peninsula. When they reached a dead end and could proceed no further, a rabbit suddenly leapt out and ran before them, showing them the path. From that time on, the path came to be called Tocheon (literally meaning “rabbit path”).”
The path was artificially carved out from limestone rock and displays traces of people that have trodden on it before you. From the path you have a view of Gomosanseong Fortress and also of Gobusanseong Fortress on the opposite side of the valley.
Tokkibiri Road was designated as Scenic Site No. 31.
Location: 산41 Sinhyeon-ri, Maseong-myeon, Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Accessible all day.
Mungyeong Omija Theme Tunnel (문경오미자테마터널)
Before heading back to your car, you can visit Mungyeong Omija Theme Tunnel near the parking lot to observe mural art and other artistic decorations in the tunnel. Unfortunately, the tunnel was closed when I visited but if it is open during your visit, then give it a try. It looks like a very colorful and fun place to visit.
Check out the website (in Korean) for more pictures and information. The tunnel has been closed since Chuseok (13 Sept 2019) until now (January 2020). I assume it will open again in spring, but please make sure before visiting if Mungyeong Omija Theme Tunnel is your main reason for visiting.
Location: 1356-1 Mungyeong-daero, Maseong-myeon, Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday 9:30 – 19:00
How to get to Gomosanseong Fortress and the other sites
Public transport
I don’t recommend visiting Gomosanseong Fortress and the other sites by public transport. It is just not practical as it takes about three hours by bus from Daegu or Seoul, whereas its location next to the highway makes it a perfect stop by car.
By car
Gomosanseong Fortress is located less than an hour south of Chungju and about an hour and twenty minutes north of the Banwoldang subway station area in Daegu. Check out my South Korea itinerary for other interesting sites to visit in the area.
Parking
You can park at the rest stop (진남휴게소) near the river.
Location: 132-10 Sinhyeon-ri, Maseong-myeon, Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
