A Mountain for Hunting Falcons, and Why Houses Stacked Up Its Slope

Mt. Eungbong was once a royal falcon-hunting ground for the Joseon dynasty, and the same steep slope that made it useful for that purpose later became the physical condition that let houses climb all the way to its summit.

Key takeaways

The name Mt. Eungbong (literally "falcon peak") is explained two ways: one account says a royal office for raising hunting falcons was established at its base in 1395, during the fourth year of the Joseon dynasty's founding king, Taejo; another says the mountain's shape simply resembles a falcon's head. Fact It's also known as Mt. Maebong, another name meaning roughly the same thing, tied to the falcon-hunting once practiced here. Fact

This hillside follows what Koreans call "baesan imsu" — a mountain at your back and a river before you, considered an ideal traditional siting principle — with Mt. Eungbong, Mt. Maebong, and the Han River coming together in one view. Fact After the Korean War, as Seoul's population surged, this same steep slope was one of the few pieces of open land left in a city short on flat ground — which is exactly why houses eventually climbed all the way to the summit.

What to look for on site

The Han River and the hillside's slope, seen from the octagonal pavilion atop Mt. Eungbong
The view created by this "mountain-backed, river-facing" layout
Sections of steep stairways and narrow alleys that still survive

Visitor tip

The climb to the summit of Mt. Eungbong has some real elevation gain. If that feels like too much, look for a lower viewpoint instead of the summit pavilion.