Bukhansan, or Bukhan Mountain, is a mountain

Mountain

Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...

 on the northern peripheries of Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

. At 836.5 meters above sea level and bordering a considerable part of the city, Bukhansan is a major landmark visible from most districts of the metropolis. The name "Bukhansan" means "Mountain north of the Han," referring to its location approximately ten kilometers to the north of the Han River

Han River (Korea)

The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River , which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River , which originates on the slopes of Mount...

. During the Joseon

Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...

 era, the peaks marked the extreme northern point of Seoul. Popular throughout the year, Bukhansan, and Bukhansan National Park

Bukhansan National Park

The Bukhansan National Park in Seoul and Gyeonggi covers an area of and was established on 2 April 1983. Bukhansan means "mountains north of the Han River."...

 is renowned for birdwatching, hiking and rockclimbing.

Name

There is a current movement to have the name of Bukhansan reverted. For many years up until now, the three main peaks of the park have collectively been called "Bukhansan"; however, the original collective name of the these three peaks was Samkaksan, meaning "three horned mountains". The head of the Gangbuk-gu

Gangbuk-gu

Gangbuk-gu is one of the 25 gu which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Its name is derived from the fact that it is located at the north of Han river. It was created from neighbouring Dobong-gu in 1995...

 District Office in Seoul is leading a petition to have the central government change the name back to the original.

See also

• List of mountains in Korea
• National parks of South Korea
  National parks of South Korea
  The national parks of South Korea are preserved parcels of public land in South Korea, on which most forms of development are prohibited. They cover a total of 3.7% of the country's area, and are typically located in mountainous or coastal regions...
  
  
• Tourism in Seoul