Walkers experience Mount Namsan's autumn splendor and slice of history during Seoul Eco Hiking Festa

Families, friends and couples dressed in clothing reminiscent of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) gathered in central Seoul on Saturday, as autumn foliage lit up the hiking trails.

The hanbok-clad visitors at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District were participants in the inaugural Seoul Eco Hiking Festa, a festival taking over two consecutive weekends. Hosted by the Seoul Tourism Organization, the event invites anyone to hike the slopes of Mount Namsan and experience pockets of nature in the heart of the capital.

Saturday, the festival’s opening day, featured a Joseon Dynasty theme. The program began with an opening ceremony, followed by guided hikes in which participants were encouraged to wear Korean traditional outfits, or hanbok.

A total of 187 participants joined the festival, including 60 foreigners. Before the hike on Saturday, visitors moved through a set of themed zones in the village square.

In one area, visitors played traditional Korean games — gonggi nori (the Korean equivalent of jacks), jegichagi (shuttlecock kicking), ddakji chigi (throwing folded paper, made famous by "Squid Game") and tuho (arrow-throwing game). Nearby, others made small versions of gat, the black traditional hats that were recently worn by Saja Boys characters in Netflix’s animated film "KPop Demon Hunters." For those who had not brought their own hanbok, a booth offered free rentals. 

While some embraced the festival’s traditional theme, others showed up in full hiking gear, unmistakably the seasoned hikers in the crowd.

Eva Suvorkina, a 22-year-old university student from Russia, was one of them. 

“I just love looking at nature and taking in the scenery,” she said, adding that she regularly hikes around Seoul with friends. “It is also a kind of challenge for myself, because I have to really focus, especially when going down.”

In particular, she finds Seoul’s mountains particularly safe. 

“Mountains in Korea are equipped with a lot of safety,” she said, mentioning the ropes and the many repaired stairways along the paths.

Her friend Anastasiia Soboleva, a Russian resident in Seoul, added that coming from a city with few mountains, hiking has become an unexpectedly enjoyable pastime.

Saturday’s hikers spent about two hours walking seven kilometers around the Mount Namsan area. As each festival day centers on a different theme, Saturday’s Joseon-inspired version allowed visitors to feel as if they were stepping briefly into the past. On parts of the trail, actors dressed as people from the Joseon era, such as yangban — the traditional ruling class — and nobi, or enslaved laborers, greeted hikers.

On Sunday, hikers joined self-guided sessions, choosing between an easier or a more challenging route and sharing their participation on social media. 

Kil Ki-yon, president and CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, stressed that the city’s geography makes it uniquely suited for events like this.

“Seoul’s strength is that it is surrounded by mountains,” he said.

“Compared to many mountains abroad, ours are compact and very easy to walk. I hope foreign visitors can feel that and the experience of Korean nature to the fullest.”

The festival continues next weekend with a family hike on Nov. 22 and a yoga-themed hike on Nov. 23, both beginning at Namsangol Hanok Village. For the family session, parents are also encouraged to bring babies in strollers. The yoga hike will include sessions before and after the walk.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]