Dorasan or Mount Dora is a 156-metre hill on the north bank of the
Imjin River
The Imjin River ( in South Korea) or Rimjin River ( in North Korea) is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea. The river i ...
in northernmost
Paju
Paju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun'').
The city area of Paju is ,"Paju (Gyeonggi-do Province)." ''Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge''. Naver, 2015. 4 Mar. 2016. ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. It lies very near the
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone ( Korean: ; Hanbando Bimujang Jidae) is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in ...
. The hill gives its name to several nearby landmarks, including
Dorasan Station and the
Mt. Dora Observatory, as well as to the local administrative unit Dorasan-
ri.
Overview
The hill's name can be translated as "
Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms o ...
City Mountain." According to legend, the last king of
Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms o ...
,
King Gyeongsun, dwelt nearby after he gave up his throne to
Taejo of Goryeo
Taejo of Goryeo (31 January 877 – 4 July 943), also known as Taejo Wang Geon (; ), was the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the Later Three ...
. Unable to return to Silla, King Gyeongsun would walk to the top of Dorasan and weep for his home in
Gyeongju
Gyeongju ( ko, 경주, ), historically known as ''Seorabeol'' ( ko, 서라벌, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, ...
. Due to this historical significance, "Dorasan" was chosen as the name of the train station.
See also
*
Dorasan Station
*
Division of Korea
The division of Korea began with the defeat of Japan in World War II. During the war, the Allied leaders considered the question of Korea's future after Japan's surrender in the war. The leaders reached an understanding that Korea would be ...
*
List of mountains in Korea
The following is a list of mountains in Korea:
List of mountains in North Korea Pyeongyang
* Taesongsan (대성산; ) –
Chagang Province
* Namsan (남산; ) –
* Obongsan (오봉산; ) –
North Pyongan Province
* Myohyangsan (묘 ...
Notes
External links
Speech given by George W. Bush at Dorasan Station in 2002
{{WikidataCoord, display=title
Paju
Landforms of Gyeonggi Province
Korean Demilitarized Zone
Hills of South Korea