Gwanggyosan (582 m) is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

. It lies on the border of Suwon and

Yongin Yongin () is a city in the Seoul Capital Area, the largest in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population over 1 million, the city has developed rapidly since the 21st century, recording the highest population growth of any city in the count ...

, though the wider range extends north and so also borders

Uiwang Uiwang () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is one of many satellite cities that ring Seoul, making up the Seoul Capital Area. Its largest immediate urban neighbor is Anyang. The low peaks of the Gwangju Mountains (including Mora ...

Gwacheon Gwacheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies close to Seoul in the heart of the Seoul National Capital Area, and also lies just east of Anyang. Seoul Subway Line 4 passes through the city. Various attractions usually associate ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

, and

Seongnam Seongnam () is the fourth largest city in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province after Suwon and the 10th largest city in the country. Its population is approximately one million. Seongnam is a satellite city of Seoul. It is largely a residential ci ...

. The summit offers views across Suwon,

, and

Bundang Bundang is a planned community in the Bundang-gu district of Seongnam, South Korea. It was developed to encourage affordable housing and urban decentralization. The community has a sports complex, a park and a youth center. Origin Bundang w ...

. The mountain is commonly hiked from Gwanggyo Reservoir in Suwon.

Gwanggyosan and Pungsu

Interpreted within the context of traditional Korean logic and beliefs – especially within the realm of Korean Confucianism – Gwanggyosan serves as Suwon's ''jinsan'', or Guardian Mountain. This is in keeping with the logic of ''pungsu'' (known as feng shui in China), which avers that an ideal site for a city or town is one where there is a ''jinsan'' to the north, an open vista, river or a large body of water to the south, and either mountains or valleys to the east and west. As Suwon's ''jinsan'', Gwanggyosan provides a natural landmark indicating the city's position to travelers Korean Anthropology: Contemporary Korean Culture in Flux. Eds. Korean National Commission for UNESCO. 2003, pg. 90. and acts as a sort of "shield" against the harsh winds from the north in wintertime. Aiding Gwanggyosan in providing a favorable sense of ''pungsu'' to Suwon are the flat farms and paddies in the southern portions of

Gwonseon-gu Gwonseon-gu is the south-western district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Administrative divisions Gwonseon-gu is divided into the following "''dong''"s. * Geumgok-dong (Hangul: 금곡동) * Homaesil-dong (Hangul: 호매실동) ...

and

Yeongtong-gu Yeongtong-gu, established in 2003, is the eastern district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is split from Paldal-gu and Suwon's newest "gu". Administrative divisions Yeongtong Gu is divided into the following "''dong''"s. * M ...

, Chilbo-san to the west, and the hills along Suwon's border with Yongin to the east.

Gallery

Image:Summit of Gwanggyosan - 2008-10-12.JPG, Summit stone Image:SE Seoul and Seongnam seen from Gwanggyosan - 2008-10-12.JPG, SE Seoul and Seongnam seen from Gwanggyosan Image:Suji seen from Gwanggyosan - 2008-10-12.JPG, Suji seen from Gwanggyosan Image:Gwanggyo Reservoir - 2008-10-12.JPG, Gwanggyo Reservoir at the southern foot of the mountain

References

{{Authority control Mountains of Gyeonggi Province Suwon Yongin Mountains of South Korea

Gwanggyosan and Pungsu

Gallery

See also

References