Namsan

Namsan (Korean: 남산; lit. 'South Mountain') is a 270-metre-high (890 ft) peak in Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. It was also known as Mongmyeoksan (목멱산; 木覓山) in the past. It offers some hiking, picnic areas and views of downtown Seoul's skyline. Namsan Seoul Tower is located at the summit of Namsan. The mountain and its surrounding area is Namsan Park, a public park maintained by the city government, which has panoramic views of Seoul. It is also the location of a smoke signal station called Mongmyeoksan Beacon Tower (목멱산 봉수대), which was part of an emergency communication system during much of Seoul's history until 1985. From 1925 to 1945 the Shinto shrine known as Chōsen Shrine was situated on Namsan. This is also where the Japanese Residency-General of Korea Building was from 1906-1962 when it was demolished In 2011, a survey was conducted by Seoul Development Institute, which included 800 residents and 103 urban planners and architects. It ranked Namsan as the most scenic location in Seoul by 62.8 percent of residents and 70.9 percent of the experts surveyed.