Bonghwasan (Seoul)

Bonghwasan is an independent hill protruding from the flatland, located in the northeastern outskirts of Seoul, bordering Sangbong-dong, Junghwa-dong, Muk-dong, and Sinnae-dong in Jungnang-gu. Its summit height is 160.1m. Except for the main ridge of Achasan to the east, it offers clear views northward to Buramsan, Dobongsan, and the Yangju area, and to the west and south, where there are no high mountains, providing good visibility of Namsan and areas south of it. Bonghwasan is also called 'Bonguje'. It was incorporated from Gyeonggi Province into Seoul on January 1, 1963. This site once had a beacon fire station (bongsudae) of Achasan that received signals from Hanisan in Yangju to the north and relayed them to Mokmyeoksan (Namsan). The beacon fire station was restored on November 7, 1994. Slightly south of the summit of Bonghwasan, there is Sansingak (a shrine for the mountain god), which is the village shrine (dodang) of Bonghwasan. About 400 years ago, residents held dodang-gut (shamanic rituals) and sansinje (mountain god rites) here. The current Sansingak was destroyed by a fire in the summer of 1992, and a new building made of red brick and cement now stands in its place.