Year of the Red Horse: Life and History Across Seoul’s Salgotji Plains
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Next year is the Year of the Red Horse, a symbol of energy and vitality. In Seoul, many neighborhoods (place names) recall a long relationship with horses — from old relay stations to stables. The article highlights Seongsu-dong and Ttukseom (뚝섬) around the wide Salgotji plains where horses once ran and soldiers trained. Seongsu’s Yeonmujang-gil, now a trendy “pop-up” shopping and café street, was historically a military training ground (yeonmujang). Seoul Forest preserves traces of the racetrack that operated at Ttukseom from 1954 to 1989; its circular walking path follows the former track. The Salgotji Bridge (Salgotji-dari), a massive stone bridge with 63 granite slabs, linked eastern routes into Hanyang (old Seoul) and justified the area’s strategic and logistical importance — the state maintained royal horse ranches and training grounds here. The piece also describes a walk from Achasan to Yongmasan (a mountain named for a mythical “dragon-horse”), offering expansive sunset views over the Han River and the Salgotji plains, and reflecting on horses as historic symbols of speed, communication, and new beginnings. The story invites readers to visit the plains and nearby sites for inspiration and renewed energy in the New Year.
