Ibike Korea People-to-People Program
Photo essay: Hangang
Trail -
Seoul to Yangsu
Points of Interest: Bongeunsa Temple, Olympic Sports Complex, Han River Valley, Pallang Dam
Cycling out of the concrete jungle.
Seoul generally has heavy traffic so it is unpleasant to cycle on the major
arterials, but if you know your way on the back streets and some of the lesser
arterials, a bicycle can be a practical mode of transportation.
One of the nicest features
of Korea's bicycle infrastructure are paths along rivers. In Seoul, along the Han
River, and several of its tributaries have wide, flat, car-free
bicycle and pedestrian facilities. You certainly don't realize that you are in a greater
metropolitan area of more than twenty million people. Around the country, there are hundreds of miles of non-motorized
facilities along rivers. For more discussion of non-motorized facilities
in Seoul and Korea see
Korean:
Non-motorized transportations.
Looking
back as we leave
the city, the Han River, Olympic Bridge and some high rise buildings can be seen
shrouded in the morning mist. Though
in the fall it is frequently overcast and grey in the morning, the clouds burned off and gave way to a
sunny afternoon.Along the river the trail passes a series of "pill boxes" (bunkers) looking out over the trail and the river. They appear to be deactivated. Presumably they are here in the event of a large scale North Korean military invasion.
When the sun breaks out Seoul's
tallest building, 555m (1,821ft) Lotte World Tower, with 123 floors (fifth
tallest building in the world (2017)), and high rise residential suburbs, across the river,
shine and reflect on the glassy river. They are casings for stacking up a lot of
people.
Through
Seoul, from Incheon on the west to Pallang Bridge on the east, there is 70 km
bike and pedestrian trail along the Han River. To facilitate access to the
Pallang Bridge they have built a new approach ramp (on the left -- the most
forward three pillars across the center of the picture.The Han River trail continues beyond Pallang on the east side of the river, but there is an alternative rural road route to Yeoju on the west and south side of the river, via Geumsa.
The Namhangang Rail Trail goes from Pallang Dam to Yangpyeong,
mostly on an old railroad alignment. Presumably to tell the story they
have left some of the tracks in around an old station. The engineers have
also taken advantage of the old tunnels.
Main retail street in
Yangsu
(left).
Retail in Korea is almost exclusively small boutiques, so every shop in a small
town has a different inventory and the street-scape is very diverse.
Window shopping is a delight.The weekly market in Yongsu (right). Venders display produce, clothing, utensils and other manufactured goods.
Continue along the River for the Central Heartland and Four Rivers routes.
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